Awakening
by arygon199
Summary: AU, Brucas. After spending two years away from home, a successful but lonely Lucas Scott returns to Tree Hill for an old friend's wedding, not even suspecting that he would find the one thing he's literally searched the world for: love.
1. Prologue

**A/N: So I've recently come into an insane amount of inspiration and came up with the idea for this story. I'm super excited about it. It's pretty AU, with some obvious similarities to the actual show. The first few chapters really focus on Lucas, but we'll get to Brooke soon enough so you've just got to stick with me! I promise, this is a HUGE Brucas story. **

**Here are the three main things you need to know for this story:**

**1. Lucas never knew Brooke or Peyton.**

**2. Brooke and Peyton grew up in New York, but are still best friends.**

**3. Lucas and Nathan are still half-brothers. Everything that happened on the show, happened in this story, except for the love triangle with Brooke and Peyton. Haley and Nathan got married in high school and had Jamie at the end of senior year. Keith died in the school shooting. Karen had Lily. Dan and Deb divorced, Jake had Jenny (although there was no Nikki mess, she just left and never returned). Jake, Lucas, and Nathan were all best friends throughout the last couple years of high school.**

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing. If I did, things on the show would be lot different. The title of the story belongs to Switchfoot._**

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_**Awakening**_

**Prologue**

Lucas Scott was many things. Successful, handsome, and rich were at the top of the list in the point of views of most people, but there was one thing that he wasn't and that was one of the most important things of all—he wasn't happy.

It didn't matter that he was the author of two best-selling novels or that his name was famous to millions of people all around the world. It didn't matter that he could have any girl he wanted with the snap of a finger and it didn't matter that he had enough money to last a lifetime. Because what was the point of those things when they couldn't make him happy?

He'd left home two years ago a young author, fresh out of college. His first book, a tale of true love that he'd yet to experience, had just been published and he was setting out on his first book tour. It had been purely an adventure at first. The actual tour had only lasted six months, but he wasn't ready to return home quite yet. He'd made it his goal to visit every state and had somehow managed to accomplish that his first year away from home. All the while he'd been writing his second novel, inspired by his travels.

He wasn't sure when it had happened, but at some point during his first year of traveling, he had started searching for something. What that something was, was beyond him. He still didn't know what he was looking for, even to this day. All he knew was that he was searching for the thing that would make him happy—complete. When his first book was published, he thought that it would fill the void in his heart—whatever that void was. And it did, for a few months at least. But he had quickly grown bored and unhappy, yearning for the one thing that could give him the happiness he sought.

After he was finished gallivanting the States, he still wasn't ready to return home. So, after his editor proudly announced that his second novel would be published in six months, he decided to take his travels out of America.

He'd traveled all over the world—from the beautiful shores of the Mediterranean to the exotic jungles in the Amazon. From London to Paris, from the Yukon to Bangkok, from Venice to Tokyo. In six short months, he'd seen it all. And yet he still hadn't found what he was looking for. After thousands and thousands of miles traveled, he was back at square one.

Now, two weeks after his second book tour ended, he found himself in the not so rainy city of Seattle, Washington. It had been his final destination for the tour, but for some reason he wasn't ready to return home and so he had booked an extra week at his hotel and stayed in the city looking for some inspiration. He'd been to so many places over the last two years and he still had so many things to see, but he knew now that if he couldn't find the solution to his happiness in the hundreds and hundreds of places he had visited, he probably wasn't going to find it anywhere. Maybe it was time to stop looking.

He sat under a tall umbrella at one of the fifteen million Starbucks in Seattle (he'd lost count after his second day of being there). It was nearing the end of summer in the Northwest and the air was warm and slightly humid. The sun was hanging high in the midst of a beautiful blue sky. People strolled along the busy streets, enjoying the weather and the relaxation it brought.

Taking a sip of his iced coffee, he looked down at his laptop. Lindsay had given him strict orders to have the outline for his next book in by next month, but he was having trouble finding any sort of inspiration to write. His first two had been easy, but now writing was a daily struggle for him. It just didn't seem worth it any more, not when it didn't bring him the peace that he needed and not when he didn't enjoy it.

His cell phone vibrated in his pocket and he pulled it out warily. It was probably Lindsay, calling to bother him once again about his writing. But when he looked at the screen, he was surprised to see his brother's name. He hadn't spoken to Nathan or his wife, Haley, for almost two weeks now, something Haley would probably scold him about the next time they did talk.

"Hey, Nate," he said cheerfully as he answered the phone.

"Lucas." Nathan sounded both tired and annoyed. "Where are you?"

"Seattle. Why, what's up?"

A loud sigh resounded on the other line and Lucas immediately knew that he was in some sort of trouble. "Lucas, Jake's getting married on Saturday."

Lucas' eyebrows crumpled in confusion. "Saturday? As in three days from now?"

"Yeah." Another sigh. "Don't tell me you forgot."

"Umm…"

"Come on, man," Nathan said, sounding even more frustrated. "This is big. Jake is one of your best friends and you're in the wedding party. You can't seriously have forgotten about this."

"Things have been crazy for me," Lucas defended. "Lindsay's been bothering me about my new book and the book tour has been really hectic…"

"The tour is over, Luke, so that excuse isn't valid anymore. Why the hell are you still in Seattle, anyway?"

Lucas sighed. "I don't even know."

"Just get your ass back home. Jake's been really patient with you and has insisted on not bothering you because we all knew you were busy, but this means a lot to him, Luke. He's a like a brother to us. You can't miss this, especially now that the tour's over and you have no obligation to be away from home."

"I know, I know."

Lucas really did feel bad about this. He hadn't meant to forget about Jake's wedding, but he'd been caught up in so many things that it had just temporarily slipped his mind. He felt even worse as he realized that he couldn't even remember the name of the girl Jake was marrying. He really had been away for much too long.

"We really miss you, Luke." Nathan's voice was soft and Lucas could tell that he wasn't really frustrated with him anymore. "It's been two years since you've been home. Jamie is missing you like crazy. You won't even believe how big he's gotten. And Haley…well she misses you even more than Jamie, if that's even possible. Your mom is about ready to strangle you for staying away for so long. And you do realize that you have a little sister waiting for you at home, don't you? She misses her big brother, Luke."

He thought of Lily, his feisty six year old sister who hadn't seen in two years, and he knew that it was time to stop searching. Obviously the searching wasn't getting him anywhere. Whatever it was he was looking for would find him eventually. He just needed to go home to his family.

"I'm coming home, Nate," he said seriously. "I'm sorry I've been away so long, but I'll be back, I promise. I'll call Jake today and let him know that I'll be there."

"I can't tell you how good it is to hear you say that," Nathan said. "Just try to make it home by Friday night for the rehearsal dinner."

"I'll do better than that. I'm going to take the first flight out of Seattle and be there by tomorrow morning. How's that sound?"

There was a pause on the other end of the line and Lucas heard another familiar voice in the background.

"Sounds good, man," Nathan said a second later. "By the way, Haley just told me to tell you that she's going to kick your ass for waiting so long to come home."

Lucas grinned. "I'm looking forward to it."

"Really, though, it'll be good to have you back. Do you think you'll be staying for good?"

He didn't know for sure. All he knew was that he needed to be home right now; it didn't matter for how long.

"I don't know yet. But I definitely won't be leaving right away."

"I guess that's better than nothing. Well, I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you soon, Nathan."

He hung up, a small smile on his face. He was surprised that for the first time in a long time he actually felt at peace. Going home, no matter how long it would be for, just felt right. He'd get to see his mother and Lily again, and of course Nathan, Haley, and Jamie. He'd get to be around all his old friends again—Jake, Mouth, Skills, Junk, Fergie… It would be good.

He was starting to think that going home to Tree Hill might have been the best decision he'd made in two years.


	2. The Return

**The Return**

The moment he stepped foot into the warm North Carolina air, he knew he had made the right decision to return home. The familiarity of his surroundings was something he hadn't felt in a long time. Traveling around the world had attuned him to always being spontaneous. He didn't know where he'd be staying half of the time and he definitely had no idea how to get around the places he'd visited. He couldn't even count the amount of times he ended up lost in strange, sometimes questionable, parts of foreign cities. So to be back in the place that he knew likes the back of his hand was very refreshing for him.

It wasn't necessarily the place that he had missed most, though, but rather the people he had left behind. Sometimes it amazed him that he was able to go two years without seeing his friends and family. He knew very much that all of the people he was closest to definitely weren't happy about that. He was going to have to take a lot of heat from them.

A few minutes of waiting later, he spotted a familiar red jeep making its way towards him. A wide smile came to his face as he walked towards it in excitement. The moment she stopped the car, his mother sprang out to meet him. He could barely say a word before she pulled him into a tight embrace, all the while muttering how much she missed him.

He laughed lightly as he pulled away. "I've missed you too, Mom."

She shook her head, looking at him pointedly. "You have been gone _way _too long."

"I know," he said guiltily. "But I'm back now, right?"

"Yes, you are," she said with a grin, "and you are not leaving anytime soon."

Before he could respond, the sound of a high pitched voiced stole his attention.

"Lucas!"

His little sister nearly tackled him as she ran into him, but he just laughed and pulled her into his arms, hugging her close. "Oh, man, I've missed you, Lily."

"I missed you too," Lily replied, giggling as she tried to escape his grasp.

He set her down, getting a good look at her. She had grown so much since he'd last been here; it was almost unbelievable. Of course he'd gotten loads of picture from his mom, but to actually see her now, standing right in from of him, was totally different. Her straight light brown hair was longer than he'd ever seen it and her piercing blue eyes looked up at him expectantly. She looked like a mini version of their mom.

"Look at how tall you are," he marveled. "You've grown so much."

"Well, duh! The last time you saw me I was four. I'm practically a grown up now."

He shook his head, trying to hide his laughter. Lily's diva attitude definitely hadn't changed over the years.

He and his mom shared an amused glance. "Yes, you are."

"Well," Karen said, moving back to the car. "let's get you home. I know Haley is dying to see you."

He grinned at the thought of Haley. He missed his best friend more than he even realized. "I can't wait to see her. And Nathan and Jamie too. Jamie must be so tall now."

Lily giggled as Karen helped her into the car. "No, he's really short."

Karen sent Lily a stern look before glancing back at him. "She and her friends like to tease Jamie. The poor thing is surrounded by so many girls that all take pleasure in acting as if he is their own personal toy."

Once they were settled into the car, Karen pulled out into traffic and drove back towards his hometown. It felt good to be back; better than he imagined.

"So, what'd you get me this time, Luke?"

Every time Lucas would visit a city, he would always make sure to buy a small gift for Lily and his mom. It had become a tradition, but at the same time it made him feel a little better about being away. It let them know he was always thinking about them, even though he wasn't actually at home.

"Lily," Karen said warningly, "you know it's not polite to ask that."

"But he's my brother; he doesn't mind."

"It's okay, Mom," he said, winking at her before digging into his bag and pulling out a coffee mug. "Here you go, Lils. Enjoy."

Lily's face scrunched up in confusion as she took the cup from him. "Mommy doesn't let me drink coffee."

He grinned. "You can fill it up with water or something and then it'll _look_ like you're drinking coffee and you'll be the coolest kid in school." Lily did not look convinced and he just shrugged. "Come on, give your big bro a break. I was in Seattle, coffee capital of the world. What else was I supposed to get you?"

"A simple t-shirt would've been a nice alternative," Karen said, chuckling.

"Yeah, but I've already gotten you both more than enough t-shirts. And I was too lazy to go shopping for gifts while I was there, so I just stopped by the Starbucks next to my hotel and picked up the first thing I saw."

"How thoughtful."

"Besides, the _real _gift was that I personally delivered the cups, right?"

Karen just smiled. "Definitely. It's by far the best gift you given us."

**888**

After dropping his luggage off it his mom's, Karen announced that she had to go back to work for a few hours, but suggested that he go see Nathan and Haley. He'd planned on this anyway and so he drove him and Lily over to their house. Haley bombarded him the moment he arrived, but he didn't mind at all; he'd missed her so much.

"Hey, Hales," he said, smiling down at her when pulled away. His response was a hard punch in the stomach. He couldn't help but laugh as he winced slightly from the pain. "I guess I deserved that."

"Don't you _ever_ stay away so long again! Do you hear me?"

"Yes, I—."

"Two years is way too long to stay away from home!"

"I know, but—."

She hit him again, this time a lot less forcefully, and gave him a playful smile. "It's good to have you home, Luke."

"It's good to _be_ home," he said, grinning softly at her.

"Hi, Uncle Luke."

Lucas looked down in surprise at his nephew who had suddenly appeared at Haley's feet. It didn't matter what Lily said, Jamie definitely had grown.

"Hey, little man," he said, bending down and pulling Jamie into a hug. "I've missed you, kid."

Jamie smiled shyly up at him. "I've missed you too, Uncle Luke."

"I hear you rival your dad on the basketball court. You'll have to show me how much better you've gotten since I left."

"I'm a pro now!" Jamie exclaimed, no longer shy at the mention of his favorite sport.

He ruffled Jamie's short blonde hair. "I bet you are."

"Looks like my big brother _finally_ decided to grace us with his presence."

Lucas laughed as he looked up from Jamie and saw Nathan standing at the doorway. A little girl that couldn't have been older than five followed Nathan down the walkway and towards them.

Lucas looked over at Haley in confusion. "Did you have another kid without telling me?"

Haley rolled her eyes. "No, but you wouldn't be able to blame us if we did since _you_ never bother to call anymore."

Lucas was thankfully saved from responding to that as Nathan had arrived.

"It's good to have you back, Luke," Nathan said, pulling him into a short hug. "We've missed you."

"I've missed you all too," he replied. He looked down at the girl who was currently tugging on Haley's hand. She was a cute kid with shoulder length dark brown hair and inquisitive brown eyes. "And who are you?" he asked, sending the little girl a friendly smile.

"I'm Kate," she said, smiling widely up at him. "And you're Lucas."

"That's what they call me."

"Jamie told me all about you. He said you were even better at basketball than Nathan!"

He laughed. "Jamie's a smart kid."

Nathan just looked down at his son in surprise. "Hey!"

"Sorry, Daddy, but it's true."

"Okay, okay," Haley interrupted, "before a brawl breaks out, let's all go inside."

Lucas followed his brother and sister-in-law inside. Jamie immediately ran out to the backyard, with Lily following close behind. Kate stopped at the backdoor, sending Lucas an enthusiastic wave before going out to join Lily and Jamie by the pool.

He took a seat at the counter next to Nathan, while Haley got them something to drink. "So who does Kate belong to?"

"Oh," Haley said, handing him a glass of iced tea, "she's the daughter of a friend of mine. She comes over here a lot when her mom has to work."

"She's very…sociable."

Nathan laughed. "Yeah, she's a cool kid. I can't believe Jamie told her you were better than me at basketball, though. I mean seriously, _I'm_ the one playing in the NBA."

Lucas just laughed. "I'm sure Jamie was joking. So how's that been going anyway?"

"What, basketball? Great. It's the off season now, but we finished with a good season. Did you keep up with us at all while you were gone?"

"My little brother is playing for the Bobcats— of course I've been keeping tabs on you."

Nathan had started playing for the Bobcats a few months before Lucas left and Lucas had barely seen him play live. He had, however, always made sure to check out everything he could online to see how his brother was doing.

"How about you, Hales?" Lucas turned to look at his best friend who was now perched on top of the kitchen counter. "How's teaching going?"

Haley let out an exasperated sigh. "It's exhausting. I really do love it, though, even if some of the kids are super obnoxious. It definitely makes me appreciate our own teachers back when we were in school. They put up with more than any of us could ever know."

"We weren't _that_ bad," Lucas said thoughtfully.

"Speak for yourself, man," Nathan said with a snicker. "I was horrible back in high school."

"Well, of course _you _were, but Haley and I were both model students."

Haley snorted. "Yeah, until Rachel almost corrupted you back in senior year."

"Almost being the key word," Lucas replied. "And she really wasn't as bad as you made her out to be."

Haley arched an eyebrow. "Lucas, I still don't know how you can defend her after all she did."

He sighed, shaking his head tiredly. "I'm not defending her, I just…"

"Can we change the subject, please?" Nathan cut in.

"Yes," Lucas said, sending Nathan a thankful glance, "that's probably a good idea."

"Sorry, Luke," Haley said apologetically. "I shouldn't have brought it up.

He smiled softly. "It's okay, Hales."

His senior year of high school was definitely one year he would never forget. There were some great moments— Nathan and Haley's second wedding, winning the state championship, prom, graduation and of course the births of Jamie and Lily. But then there were the bad memories that will forever be imprinted in his mind— the school shooting and the death of Keith, murdered by his own brother, and the whole mess with Rachel, just to name a few. It had been an interesting year, to say the least.

Nathan turned to look at him. "So…did you talk to Jake?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I called him yesterday. I'm actually going to meet him and some of the other guys at the Rivercourt tonight to catch up. You wanna come?"

"Of course," Nathan replied. "We'll probably have to bring Jamie, though. You know, to prove that_ I _am the better basketball player in this family."

"I've barely played these last two years, so I don't think you'll have a problem proving that. As a matter of fact, the last time I touched a basketball was in Barcelona over eight months ago. I ended up playing streetball with a couple of locals. It was pretty awesome now that I think about it."

Nathan just shook his head. "Lucas, I'm so gonna kick your ass tonight."

He laughed. "I don't doubt it, Nate."

**888**

It was early evening by the time Lucas, Nathan, and Jamie headed over to the Rivercourt. Lily had stayed behind to hang out with Kate, who was apparently a good friend of hers as well. The sun was beginning to set and soon the street lights would come on. Jake was already there, playing one on one with Skills while Mouth sat on one of the benches, commentating. He smiled at the sight; it was almost like he was back in high school.

Skills stopped mid-game. "Well, well, look who it is."

He grinned as he walked over to meet the others on the court. "It's been awhile."

Jake laughed, patting him on the back. "Dude, it's been forever."

"Yeah," he admitted, "it really has."

Mouth, one of his oldest friends, came over to him with a big smile. "How'd traveling the world go, Luke?"

"It was…fun."

And it really was fun, but there was still something in his mind that was constantly nagging him, telling him that there was something out there that he was looking for, something that he still hadn't found. It was frustrating because he honestly doesn't know what it is. He just hoped that someday he would find it.

"You try out a lady in each country?" Skills asked, smirking at him.

He chuckled. "Not _every _country, no."

"Too bad, man. If I was you, I would've made sure to get a taste of each country, see which one was on top when it comes to the ladies, if you know what I mean."

Lucas chuckled. "You really haven't changed, Skills."

"So," Jake said, throwing Lucas the basketball, "are we gonna play or not?"

"Let's do this," Nathan said, grinning over at Lucas. "Jamie, you'd better watch this. You're gonna want to see your old man kick your uncle's butt."

Almost a full hour later, Lucas was about ready to drop in exhaustion. He wasn't in shape for this anymore and Nathan definitely _had_ kicked his butt. Pulling out of the game and watching Nathan pump his fists in victory, he sat down on the benches. Jake pulled out a second later and sat next to him.

"Thanks for coming home, Luke." Jake wiped the sweat off his head with his shirt. "It means a lot to have you here for the wedding"

"I wouldn't have missed it for the world," he replied. "So how's all the planning going?"

"It's been hectic, but it's all going according to plan. Peyton's best friend, Brooke, was dying to help with the wedding planning, so she and Peyton have done most of the work. All I really had to do was pick out a ring and try on tuxes. It really hasn't been that bad…for me at least."

"Tell me about Peyton. I don't think I've ever even met her."

Jake seemed to drift off into another world at the mention of Peyton. A look of pure love crossed his face, similar to how Nathan looked whenever he was thinking about Haley.

"Peyton is amazing," Jake finally said. "She's so great with Jenny and she just makes me so happy…I'm really blessed to have her."

"You guys met at NYU, right?"

Jake nodded. "Yeah, three years ago. Feels like just yesterday…" He drifted off again, a happy smile on his face.

Lucas looked at him in amusement. "Wow, man, you've got it _bad_ for this girl."

Jake just laughed. "I can't help it. One day, when you've found the girl you're going to spend the rest of your life with, you'll know exactly how I'm feeling."

He looked down at his hands thoughtfully. He'd always been a romantic; that's why his first story had basically been a romance novel. But at the same time he'd never really experienced true love. It was something that he had once strongly desired, he'd even thought he'd found it once, but he had been wrong, and then his heart had been closed off ever since. He still wanted it though, especially if someone could make him as happy as Peyton made Jake or Haley made Nathan.

Love. Maybe that is what he had been searching for all this time. He'd thought about it before, but he really hadn't had much interest in starting any romances abroad so he quickly brushed it off. Now, though, he found the desire coming back. He just wanted to share a bond with someone that was only between them. He wanted something special and something real.

He wanted love.

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**A/N: **I know there's no Brooke in this chapter, but I promise she'll be in the next one. This chapter was still a bit of an introductory one. I hope you liked it. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about it. It could've been better and it was pretty short…

Thanks so much for all of your wonderful reviews last chapter. I got so much more feedback than I expected, which is why I ended up whipping this up quickly so I could reward you all for your awesomeness! :D Thanks so much for reading and please remember to review!


	3. First Sight

**First Sight**

A smile flitted across his face as he stood in front of the familiar café. The last time he was here was when his mom and Haley threw him a going away party for his first book tour. It was still the same old place that he'd grown to love, though.

His mom had owned the café ever since he could remember and during high school it had been the place that he and Haley liked to hang out. When they were especially keen to get away from the world, they would head up to the roof— their own special retreat. Haley had even set up a putt-putt golf course there once. So this place really did hold a lot of memories, all of which seemed to be rushing back to him the moment he stepped inside.

His mom wasn't anywhere to be seen and so he walked over to the counter, taking a seat and glancing through the menu, even though he had memorized it long ago. After looking at it for a few seconds, he eyes trailed over the rest of the store. Business seemed to be doing well, according the nice crowd that filled the place up anyway. Even on a Friday morning, there wasn't a lack of customers. His mother must have still been doing an amazing job with the place.

"What can I get you?"

He turned around at the sound of a raspy voice and saw a pretty looking waitress staring back at him, a cheerful smile on her lips.

"Just a coffee," he said, smiling lightly at her.

"Coming right up."

A second later she was back, setting the hot cup of coffee in front of him. He thanked her with a smile, while she looked at him for a moment, her lips pursed thoughtfully.

"You must be Lucas."

"How'd you know?"

"Well, I _do _work for your mom," she said, grinning at him. "She's told me all about you and I've seen a million pictures of you. You were a very cute baby, by the way."

He groaned in embarrassment. "Don't tell me she pulled out the baby photos."

"Oh you bet she did. But don't worry; I didn't see any of the naked ones. Karen said you burned most of them when you were in sixth grade or something."

He chuckled as he thought back to when he was twelve years old and had caught his mom showing Haley his baby pictures— _all_ of his baby pictures, and some weren't pretty. He'd made sure to get rid of the especially embarrassing ones as soon as he could. His mom hadn't been happy with him, but it had been worth it.

She took a seat next to him. "I'm Brooke Davis."

"Nice to meet you, Brooke," he replied with a grin. It was no lie to say that Brooke already had him very intrigued. She had long dark brown hair and a bubbly smile, her dimples adding to her cheerful demeanor. Her hazel eyes shone down at him, a spark of playfulness in them.

"I have to say that I'd still recognize you even if I didn't know your mom. I read your books and it's hard not to recognize your handsome face when it sprawled out all along the back cover."

He looked at her curiously. "So you read my books, huh? How'd you like them?"

"I thought they were amazing. Especially your first one." She trailed off slightly, a small smile on her face. "It was such a beautiful love story. You must either be a huge romantic or it's based on a true story, because it really is incredibly well-written. You can really feel the emotions in your words."

"I'm just a really big romantic," he answered honestly. He could only wish his story had been based on a true story, but really it had been a figment of his imagination that slowly grew into a plot for a story.

"Either way, it's amazing. You really have a lot of talent."

"Thanks…"

Even though he'd been an author for over two years now, it still felt a bit odd when people praised his work. It was always very humbling for him, but at the same time it was something he didn't like to dwell on for too long. Needless to say, he was relieved when Brooke changed the subject.

"So, your mom tells me you've been traveling the world."

"Yeah." He nodded slowly. "I haven't been home in two years actually."

"That's what everyone kept telling me. Haley kept on going on and on about how much you suck as a best friend. She was joking of course, but I got the picture."

He chuckled softly. "Haley loves to give me a hard time. So how do you know her exactly?"

"I first met her through your mom, but then I started to hang out with her because she's good friends with Jake and Peyton."

He looked at her in surprise. "You know those two?"

She nodded. "Peyton's my best friend. We're practically sisters."

"Huh…" His eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

Yes, Brooke Davis definitely did pike his interest. It wasn't just her charismatic personality or the fact that she was extremely easy to talk to, but also that she knew a lot more about him than he did about her. She was good friends with his friends and with his mom, something that made him even more curious about her. There was a lot he wanted to ask her.

"Luke, when did you get here?"

The sound of his mother's voice pulled him away from his thoughts. Karen stood on the other side of the counter, looking at him inquiringly.

"Hey, mom," he said, bending over to place a kiss on her cheek. "I got here a few minutes ago."

Karen nodded and looked over at Brooke and then back at him. "I see you've met Brooke," she said, smiling oddly at him.

"Yes, he did," Brooke answered for him, "and I was just about to get back to work. You can blame Lucas for distracting me."

"It's okay, Brooke," Karen said, laughing lightly, "the café is starting to empty out anyway. I'm glad you two could finally meet." She turned to look at Lucas. "Brooke's a big fan of your books and she's wanted to meet you for awhile now."

"So I've heard." He winked at Brooke, who seemed slightly embarrassed. "I've also heard that you've been showing her old baby pictures of me."

His mom just shrugged. "You know I can't resist pulling out the baby photos whenever I get the chance."

"And those pictures really were too adorable _not _to share," Brooke said, sharing a laugh with Karen.

He glared playfully at his mom, before smiling charmingly back at Brooke. "My mom is the definition of embarrassing."

Karen swatted his arm. "I am not."

He just rolled his eyes and concentrated on taking the last sip of his coffee. A few more customers walked through the door and Brooke stood up.

"Okay, I really should get back to work now."

He stood up with her. "I've got to get going, too. I have to meet Jake at the mall so that I can finally try on my suit for tomorrow. I _am _the best man after all."

He'd been a bit surprised when Jake asked him to be his best man, mostly because Nathan and Jake had seen a lot more of each other during the past two years than he and Jake had. But in high school, Lucas and Jake had been very close and, even though they hadn't seen each other for awhile, their bond was still strong. Besides Haley, Jake had been Lucas' best friend in high school. He'd been the first person to befriend him on the basketball team, and Lucas had been the first one that Jake told about Jenny. Ever since then, they'd always had each other's backs. Nathan and Jake had known each other longer, but they really hadn't become actual friends until the middle of senior year.

"You're the best man, huh?" Brooke was looking at him with raised eyebrows. "Well, looks like we'll be walking down the aisle together since I'm the maid of honor."

He glanced over at her, a bit surprised. Then again, she was the best friend of the bride so the fact that she was the maid of honor really shouldn't be too shocking. "What a coincidence," he replied, grinning. "Looks like you'll have to save me a dance at the reception, then."

She smiled back at him, her dimples more prominent than ever. "I just might have to…It was nice to finally meet you, Lucas."

"It was nice to meet you too, Brooke."

She nodded slowly, her eyes bearing straight into his. "I guess I'll see you at the rehearsal tonight."

He was unable to look away from her piercing gaze. "Yeah…"

She sent him one last smile before heading over to a table at the far end of the room and tending to a customer. His head turned slowly from her retreating form and back to his mother, who was looking at him with raised eyebrows and a knowing smile.

"Brooke's seems nice."

"Mhmm…"

He knew the look on his mom's face—it was one of those 'I can tell you're totally into her' looks and he didn't really want to deal with it right now. "I'm gonna go," he said, turning to leave. "I'll see you in a few hours."

As he walked back to his car, he couldn't keep his eyes from traveling back towards the café, where he spotted Brooke working through the window. He barely knew her, but he had a feeling that was going to change soon. One thing was for sure, no one had interested him like this in a very long time. He wasn't sure exactly _how_ he was interested in her— simply as a friend or as something more—but he was and he couldn't wait to talk more with her tonight.

And once again he was struck by the fact that coming home truly was a great decision.

**888**

Later that day, after trying on his tux and making sure all the measurements were correct, he and Jake walked out of the store and back into the crowded mall. Lucas smiled at all the familiar shops. Even though he'd never been a particular fan of the mall when he was younger, it was a place he'd been dragged to constantly by all of the women in his life and a place that would always hold a lot of memories for him, so it was nice to be able to wander through it once again.

Jake's phone rang just as they made it to the exit and he quickly answered it. "Hello?...Yeah, but we were just about to leave, why? Okay…yeah, we're right by Macy's… Alright, see you in a second."

Lucas glanced at him curiously. "Who was that?"

"That was Peyton," Jake replied, smiling happily. "She has some more shopping to do apparently, so she's here and she wants to meet up with us." Jake was distracted slightly as he searched through the crowds. Lucas followed his gaze, trying to find the woman that seemed like she would fit Jake's description of Peyton. He was pretty sure that he'd seen a picture of her long ago, but he can't even remotely remember what she looked like.

"There she is," Jake finally said. Lucas followed him through the people, his eyes landing on a pretty blonde who appeared to be making her way towards them too. As they got closer, he could now faintly remember the picture that Jake had shown him long ago. This girl definitely must be Peyton.

"Hey, babe," Jake said once they reached her.

Peyton looked just as in love as Jake did as she kissed him softly. "Hi, honey." Her eyes moved over to Lucas and she smiled. "You must be the infamous Lucas Scott."

"Yup, that would be me," he said, a friendly smile on his lips. "It's great to finally meet you."

Peyton grinned. "It's great to meet you too. Everyone's told me so much about you."

"I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. I hear Haley's been telling everyone that I suck as a best friend."

"Yeah," Peyton admitted, laughing lightly, "but it was clear that it was just because she missed you like crazy." She turned to look back at Jake. "So, I just realized that I have no shoes to match my dress for the rehearsal tonight and since Brooke just got off of work, she made me promise to let her go with me to find something. You know how she is when it comes to shopping…"

Lucas perked up slightly at the mention of the pretty brunette he'd met earlier and he looked around hopefully to see if Brooke was anywhere around.

"You'll probably be here for awhile then," Jake said.

"Unfortunately, yes," Peyton replied. "Okay, I'm gonna get going. She told me to meet her at Nordstrom's."

Jake laughed. "Of course she picks the most expensive store in the mall."

"It could be a lot worse, trust me." She kissed Jake again and then smiled back over at Lucas. "I'll see you guys tonight."

Lucas couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed as Peyton strolled away from them and towards the Nordstrom's at the other end of the mall. For some reason, his meeting with Brooke at the café had left a strong impression on him and he found himself looking forward to seeing her again. There was just something about her that intrigued him and made him want to know more about her. He was suddenly tempted to tell Jake that he'd parked over at the other end of the mall, where he knew Brooke and Peyton would be. He hadn't really of course, but Jake didn't know that since they'd met up at the tux store.

"Luke, you coming?"

He turned to look back at Jake, who was looking at him expectantly, and nodded. "Yeah."

He'd get to see Brooke later tonight and that was good enough for him. As he and Jake walked outside, he found himself wondering if there had ever been a time when he'd been so fascinated by a girl after just one meeting.

The answer was simply, really, because he knew that he'd _never_ been fascinated by a girl like this before.

**888**

The actual rehearsal went by smoothly. The wedding party wasn't extremely huge. Lucas and Nathan were the two groomsmen and Brooke and Haley were the bridesmaids. Jamie was proud to be the ring bearer, while Jenny, who'd grown so much that he barely recognized her, and to his surprise, Kate, the girl he'd met and Nathan and Haley's, were the two flower girls. Many of those close to Jake and Peyton, including his mom and Lily, had been invited to the rehearsal as well.

He was continuously distracted by Brooke, although he was slightly annoyed by the fact that he'd yet to speak with her. The moment he arrived at the church, he'd been whisked away to start the rehearsal and he'd had no time to say as much as a hello.

But now, as they all sat in the large private room of one of Tree Hill's finest restaurants, he knew that he would soon get his chance. The moment she moved away from her conversation with two women he didn't recognize, he stood from his chair and strode over to her, a big smile on his face. She smiled too as she noticed him walking towards her.

"Nice to see you again, Brooke."

She nodded. "You too."

He couldn't keep his eyes from wandering up and down her body. She looked good—_very _good. Red definitely must be a good color for her, although he wouldn't be surprised if she looked great in just about everything.

"You look amazing."

"Thanks. You don't look too bad yourself."

He chuckled. "Mom always did say I cleaned up nice, although I'm not really much of a suit and tie guy."

She looked surprised at this. "Really? I'd think since you're a famous author and all you'd be used to it."

"I am used to it, yes, but that doesn't mean I enjoy it."

"Well if it makes you feel any better…" She leaned forward slightly so that her head was inches from his. A playful grin sat upon her lips. "_I _think that you look very, _very_ good in a suit."

He leaned forward impulsively, a shiver running down in spine. "That does make me feel a little better," he murmured.

What was it with him and this girl? He'd known her for less than a day and here they were, not only completely comfortable with each other, but flirting dangerously.

Before she could respond, a high-pitched voice interrupted her. "Mommy!"

Lucas looked down in surprise as Kate appeared next to Brooke. She held on to Brooke's hand and looked up at them both with a big smile. His eyes narrowed as he noticed just how much the two of them looked alike. And then it hit him—Kate was Brooke's daughter.

He looked back and forth between the two of them, still a bit shocked at this discovery. This was not something he was expecting, but then again he really should have known. After all, he'd seen Brooke with Kate earlier at the church and she'd been acting like most mothers do around their children. For some reason, he just didn't put two and two together. Then again, he _had_ only known her since this morning.

"Hi, Lucas," Kate said cheerfully.

"Hi, Kate." He winked down at her, getting over his surprise. He didn't even know why he was so surprised anyway, especially considering that, other than the fact that Brooke worked for his mom and was Peyton's best friend, he knew nothing about her. So really, nothing should surprise him when it came to Brooke.

Brooke looked down at Kate, her eyes narrowing as she noticed a brown large stain on the little girl's white dress.

"What happened to your dress?"

"I spilled gravy on it," she replied with a shrug.

"Honey, that dress is brand new." He watched as she fussed over her daughter, bending down and wiping at the dress with a napkin.

"This is so not coming out right now" Brooke said a second later, glaring at the stain. "We'll deal with it when we get home. Now why don't you go back over to Jenny and the others and finish your dinner? And please don't spill anything else on your dress. This thing was expensive."

"Okay. Sorry, mommy," she said. "Bye, Lucas!"

With that, Kate ran back over to Jenny, Lily, and Jamie. When he turned to look back at Brooke, she was smiling uncertainly at him.

"So _you're_ Kate's mom."

She nodded. "Yeah…she told me that you met at Nathan and Haley's yesterday."

"Yeah, we did. She's a very cute kid. I can definitely see the resemblance between you two now."

Brooke eyes were on her daughter as Kate laughed with all her friends. She seemed a bit uncomfortable, as if she was worried about how Lucas saw her now. He supposed he did think of her differently, but not in a bad way of course. It was a bit of a surprise that she had a kid, but she had a whole past he didn't know about so he wasn't one to judge.

All he knew was that it didn't change the way she made him feel. In fact, it only intrigued him more.

"Brooke!"

She glanced over at Peyton, who was waving her over. "I'm gonna go see what Peyton needs."

He smiled. "Okay."

She looked down at the floor a bit awkwardly. "See you later."

"See you…"

He watched as she walked away, mentally kicking himself for not saying anything more. She probably felt like he was turned off of her now—something that he definitely wasn't. He would make sure to say something about this the next time they talked, although he had a feeling that it would probably be some time tomorrow that they did.

After tonight, he decided that there was just something about Brooke Davis that pulled him in. He didn't know what it was, but he was going to make it his goal to figure it out.

* * *

**A/N: **I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this chapter, mostly because other than the first scene where Lucas and Brooke met, I had a hard time writing it. Please be sure to me know what you all thought of it! So far, this story had been told all in Lucas' POV, but I just thought I'd let you know that starting next chapter, we'll be getting Brooke's POV too.

Thanks so much for reading and a special thanks to all who reviewed! I wasn't able to respond to many of them, but I appreciated them all so much!

**Lena: **I hope you liked this chapter and all the Brucas that it contained. So did they meet like you imagined or was it completely different? I really loved writing them this chapter. It's so different than the show, but at the same time I want to make sure that they're the same Brucas that we all love. I can't wait to hear what you think!


	4. A Spark

**A Spark**

Lucas had never been a huge fan of weddings. Granted, he hadn't been to too many in his life, but the ones he had been to hadn't exactly gone extremely well. The first wedding he'd ever been to had been one of his mom's old friends. He had been only six years old and at the reception, after a combination of too much punch and too many meatballs, ended up throwing up all over the dance floor. It hadn't been one of his shining moments. Eleven years later, his Uncle Keith's wedding had ended with a runaway bride, a result of Dan Scott's messing with his brother's life. Nathan and Haley's second wedding had gone well, but after the reception Rachel and Nathan's Uncle Cooper had driven off a bridge, which resulted in Nathan trying to save them and all three of them ending up in the hospital.

So, needless to say, weddings had always been eventful in Lucas' life and most of the time it wasn't in a good way. However, he was pretty sure that Jake and Peyton's would go through smoothly since Rachel and Cooper weren't here to crash another car and Dan was tucked away in prison and therefore unable to interfere with the lives of those in Tree Hill.

He arrived at around eleven that morning at Nathan and Haley's house, where he, Nathan, and Jake would get ready for the wedding. Lucas had never been engaged and about to be married before, so he really had no idea how a guy would feel on their wedding day, although he was willing to bet that most would be somewhat nervous. Jake didn't seem nervous at all, though. In fact, as he sat on the couch, laughing with Jamie as they both played NBA Live, he appeared perfectly calm and collected.

"How's it going?" Lucas asked, sitting down on the couch across from them.

"Great," Jake said, his eyes still on the screen. "Your tux is over there, by the way." He motioned over to the staircase, where his tux was hanging on the railing. "We probably need to—yes! Looks like I beat you again, kid."

Lucas watched in amusement as Jake pumped his fists in victory, while Jamie looked annoyed.

"You never let me win, Uncle Jake."

"That's because you told me not to. You said you want to be treated like everyone else."

Jamie sighed. "I take that back. You can let me win next time."

"Nope, I'm gonna be the tough guy. Besides, you keep getting better and better. If you practice while I'm away on my honeymoon, you'll definitely be able to beat me when I get back."

Jamie looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding. "Okay, but I'm definitely gonna beat you soon, Uncle Jake."

"I know you will." Jake grinned down at Jamie before standing up and glancing over at Lucas. "So we should probably start getting ready."

He nodded. "Where's Nathan?"

"Right here." Lucas turned to look at Nathan, who had just walked through the front door. "And I've got coffee."

Lucas made a face. "Coffee? I could use something a little…stronger, if you know what I mean."

"It's only eleven in the morning, bro. Besides, there will be plenty of booze at the reception."

"What's got you wanting alcohol so early in the day?" Jake glanced at him curiously as they all leaned against the counter. Jamie still sat in the living room, his eyes taped to his video game.

Lucas just shrugged. "Nothing."

Nathan grinned. "Lucas is probably just depressed that he's the last one of us to get married."

"Very funny," Lucas said, rolling his eyes.

"Luke, it's okay to be sad that no woman wants you."

"That's not true," Jake said, earning confused looks from both Lucas and Jake. "You and Brooke seemed pretty comfortable with each other last night."

Lucas frowned slightly, not sure if he wanted to talk about this with them yet. He barely knew Brooke and he really wasn't sure how he felt about her. He wanted to sort out his own feelings before letting anyone else knew how he felt.

"Wait, Brooke?" Nathan still looked confused. "As in Brooke Davis? As in Kate's mom, Brooke?" Jake nodded while Lucas let out an exasperated sigh. "I didn't even know you two had met."

"We met yesterday," Lucas said in annoyance. "And we're just friends. I barely know her, anyway."

"Sure…"

"Jake." Lucas glared at him. "Seriously, nothing is going on."

Jake smiled at him apologetically. "Sorry, man. You know I didn't mean anything by it."

"It's okay. I didn't mean to get so defensive, it's just…I don't know…I guess she and I did hit it off at first, but…"

"She has a kid," both Nathan and Jake said.

"No," he quickly defended, "that's not the problem at all! Believe me, I don't care if she has a kid or not—it really doesn't faze me. I'm just not even sure how I feel about her…I mean, I met her at the café yesterday morning and since then I haven't been able to get her out of my head. Is that weird?"

He wasn't sure why he decided to spill his feelings to his friends, especially since a second ago, he wasn't interested at all in talking about it, but he knew that he needed their advice because Brooke Davis had been consuming his thoughts for over twenty-four hours now.

"Not really," Jake said with a shrug. "When I first met Peyton, we had this connection and I just knew that she was going to be a special part of my life. I wouldn't be surprised if that's how you feel about Brooke."

"You want to know what I think?" Nathan asked.

"Not really," he teased.

"Well, too bad. I think that you should take things slowly. Like you said, you don't really know Brooke, so maybe you should take the time to get to know her before doing anything rash."

"What do you mean?"

"Brooke's been through a lot," Jake answered for Nathan. "She needs someone who is going to be serious about her. So what Nathan means is that you should just try to be her friend and then see if you could ever commit to a relationship with her. If you think you can, then go for it."

Lucas sighed and ran a hand through his short hair. He wasn't sure he wanted to go much further into this topic, especially now when he still had no idea how he felt about her. He knew that he would talk to her at the wedding, but what would come out if it, he wasn't sure.

In the back of his mind, he knew that he would love to take her out sometime, on a date preferably, but he also wondered if he was even ready to date. He'd never really been serious about a girl before and, like Jake said, if he was going to ask Brooke out, he needed to be serious. She was a single mother and, after growing up with a mom who had raised him mostly on her own, he knew that most single moms didn't let men into their lives unless they were trustworthy and serious about the relationship.

But even though he didn't know if he was ready to commit to anything, he couldn't reject the possibility of asking her out. There was just something about her that was different than other girls he'd ever met and he wanted so badly to get to know her as more than just a friend.

He groaned in frustration. If he wasn't confused before, he was definitely confused now. Jake and Nathan seemed to be making a bigger deal out of him and Brooke than _he _was, but they did both have points, something that he wasn't sure he wanted to admit.

"Okay," Lucas said, taking a long sip of his coffee. "now I _really_ need some alcohol."

**888**

Brooke Davis was never one to go crazy for a guy. Well, maybe that was a bit of a lie— in high school, she'd been the typical boy crazy cheerleader, but still, she had never really fallen for a guy before. Maybe that was because before Kate she'd preferred one night stands over long term relationships or maybe it was simply because no guy had ever grabbed her attention before. But for whatever reason it was, Brooke had never really found herself so immediately attracted to someone before. It seemed like Lucas Scott had changed that, though.

There was just something about him that left her wanting more. Not only was he both charming and extremely good looking, but he was genuinely nice and even seemed to be good with Kate, at least from what her daughter had told her and the little she'd seen of them together. If that wasn't a good catch, then she didn't know what was.

But after last night, she wasn't sure if he was interested in the way she was interested in him. Everything had gotten awkward when he'd learned about Kate and she wasn't so sure he was interested in a potential relationship with a single mom. She understood if he wasn't, after all, he'd been traveling the world the past few years and she doubted he'd be interested in the idea of settling down at the age of twenty-four with a woman who already has a kid.

What chance did she possibly have with him anyway? She was just a single mom struggling to make ends meet and he was a best-selling author and world traveler. The two of them together really didn't make sense, which was why she hated that she was getting her hopes up.

"What's up with you, B. Davis?"

She turned around at the sound of her best friends' voice and her eyes immediately widened.

"Oh my God, Peyton, you look incredible!"

Peyton grinned, twirling around in her elegant wedding dress. "You think?"

"No, I _know_. Jake is gonna die when he sees you walking down that aisle."

Her eyes began to water, but she couldn't help it; she was just so happy for Peyton. After all these years, Peyton deserved so much to have her happy ever after. The two of them had been through a lot in high school, but Peyton dealt with the darker issues, including learning she was adopted and then losing both her adoptive mother and her birth mother within a few years of each other. And to add to that, Peyton had gone through a string of horrible boyfriends, all of which ended up hurting her in one way or another and scarred her from getting serious with another guy for years.

When Jake bumped into Peyton three years ago in New York, Brooke couldn't help but be happy that her best friend had found a guy who truly respected and loved her. And now they were getting married and their relationship gave Brooke hope that maybe someday she'd find a man that makes her this happy too.

"Hey." Peyton put a hand on her shoulder, pulling her into a little hug. "I thought it was the bride's job to cry on the wedding day."

Brooke laughed softly, brushing away the tear that was sliding down her cheek. "Sorry, but I'm just so happy for you. You deserve this, P. Sawyer, you really do."

"Thanks." Peyton smiled gently at her. "And Brooke?"

"Yeah?"

"I can't wait to cry on your wedding day."

Brooke chuckled. "You'll probably have to wait fifteen or twenty years."

"I bet it will be much sooner than you think."

She let out a small sigh. The truth was all she really wanted was to be loved the way that Jake loved Peyton. She wanted so badly to plan her own wedding and wear a dress as gorgeous as Peyton's. She wanted all that more than anything. But she couldn't see it happening, not when her life was dedicated to her daughter and not when the man she'd met just yesterday consumed her mind so completely that she wasn't sure anybody else would do for her.

"I hope so," she finally said.

"Brooke, _any_ guy would be lucky to have you and Kate in their lives and I know that you'll find that guy soon."

Her mind immediately wandered back to Lucas. "Yeah…"

What was wrong with her? Why was she so obsessed with a man she barely knew? She couldn't like Lucas. It wouldn't work between them. He probably didn't even like her that way. Why would he, when he'd known her for all of one day? It just wasn't realistic.

But if, by a very small chance, he _did_ like her in a romantic way, she wasn't sure what she would do. She didn't even want to think about it and yet she couldn't keep her mind from wandering away from that possibility. And if he did ever ask her out she just wasn't sure she would be able to refuse.

"Something's on your mind, Brooke, and as your best friend, I expect you to tell me what it is."

She sighed again as she looked over at Peyton. "It's nothing."

Peyton snorted. "Yeah right." She sat on one of the stools in the small room that they were getting ready in. "It's a guy, isn't it?"

She cocked an eyebrow. "And why would you think that?"

Peyton just shrugged. "I can read you better than anyone. Now who is it? Because I don't remember you dating anyone recently…"

It was pointless to keep things from Peyton. "It's Lucas."

"Lucas…Scott?"

"Yes."

Peyton took this in for a second before grinning broadly at her. "I knew something was up between you two. I was gonna ask you last night, but I kept on getting distracted and I knew you'd probably deny anything if I did. So, what's going on with you and Lucas?"

"Nothing," Brooke answered, "but I just…I met him yesterday and he was just so easy to talk to and was such a gentlemen at the same time…I guess I'm just really attracted to him and don't know what to do since the last time I've been so intensely attracted to a guy was pretty much never."

"Hmmm…" Peyton looked at her thoughtfully. "How does he feel about Kate?"

"I don't really know. He seemed okay with me having a daughter, but I don't know for sure."

Peyton was quiet for another moment before continuing. "I think you should talk to him some more today and see where he stands. If it seems like he's a good guy and has good intentions, then I'd go for it."

"Go for what? A relationship? I don't think I can do a relationship right now, Peyton. I've got enough on my plate and I don't know how Kate would feel about me dating…"

"Brooke, you've barely dated since Kate was born. You need to start opening yourself up to love or else you're never going to find it. And judging by the way Lucas has got you acting, I'm think it might be a good idea to let _him_ be the one you open your heart up to. I don't know him really well, but from what everyone has said, he seems like a really good guy."

"A good guy who is probably going to leave again in a few months to finish traveling the world," she said despondently. "I'm not going to try anything with him if he's just going to leave. I won't do that to myself or to Kate."

"You don't even know if he's going to leave again. Look, I'm not saying you should jump into a relationship with him…maybe you should just try getting to know him as a friend and see where it goes from there. You two don't even really know each other anyway."

She nodded slowly. "You're probably right…I should get to know him first. For all I know he could be a crazy psycho stalker or something like that."

"No, psycho Derek was a stalker. I don't think Lucas is."

She shook her head at the mention of Peyton's crazy stalker that had terrorized them both back in high school. It was just another piece of their screwed up teenage lives.

"Hey, guys." They both smiled as Haley strode into the room, carrying their bouquets. "We've got like five minutes before it starts."

"Five minutes…" Peyton had a dreamy look on her face and Brooke grinned.

"Do you realize that in a little over five minutes, I will no longer be able to call you P. Sawyer?"

Peyton just smiled. "I can't wait."

**888**

It was a beautiful ceremony, full of happy tears and Jake looking happier than Lucas had ever seen him. But ever since she'd appeared at the end of the aisle, his eyes had barely been able to leave Brooke. He didn't _mean_ to keep constantly looking at her, but he really couldn't help that his eyes simply wouldn't pull away from her for more than a few seconds. It was her fault—she was too beautiful for her own good. And now he knew more than ever that he needed to talk to her as soon as he could.

As soon as the preacher announced Jake and Peyton as man and wife, he stepped forward, waiting anxiously to do his part as the best man and walk the maid of honor down the aisle. A few seconds later, as Peyton and Jake started making their way down the aisle, he grinned widely as he extended his arm out to Brooke. She sent him a smile as she slipped her arm through his.

He bent his head down slightly as they walked together and whispered quietly into her ear, "I didn't know it was possible for you to look more beautiful than you did last night."

He didn't know it was possible for her to smile any wider, either, and yet she was proving him wrong once again. "You sure know how to flatter a girl, don't you?" she said as they stepped out into the warm August air.

"Nah," he grinned, "I only speak the truth."

She just shook her head, chuckling lightly. "You're something else, Lucas Scott."

"I could say the same thing about you," he replied.

They were separated a moment later to take pictures, but he didn't mind because she was only a few feet away a majority of the time and his eyes were always on her. It definitely wasn't a normal thing to be so enamored by someone after only knowing them for a little more than a full day, but right now he didn't care. All he could think of as the photographer took shot after shot was how much he was looking forward to that dance that Brooke had said she'd save for him.

**888**

He wasn't too happy with the seating arrangements at the reception. He was sitting next to Jake and Brooke was sitting next to Peyton so unless he wanted to reach his head across the newlyweds and talk with her, his conversation with Brooke would have to wait.

She was pretty busy, anyway. Kate was a bundle of energy and Brooke was on her toes every second to keep watch and make sure she was behaving herself. Meanwhile, Lucas had found himself watching the little girl as well. It was funny how much she reminded him of Brooke. From the little he knew about them, he could tell that they both were energetic and witty, as well as caring and friendly. They both had brown hair and the prettiest eyes, although Kate's were brown and Brooke's a darker hazel. Even their dimples were identical.

Jake and Peyton and Nathan and Haley had just moved to the dance floor and he'd lost sight of Brooke a few minutes ago amongst the crowd, so now he sat at an empty table, his eyes wandering the room for sight of anything interesting, particularly the beautiful brunette that he couldn't get out of his mind.

He grinned when he noticed Kate bouncing towards him, a bubbly smile lighting up her face.

"Hello, Lucas," she said, jumping into the chair next to him.

"Well, hello, Kate. How's my favorite flower girl doing?"

"Your _favorite_?" she asked with wide eyes.

He nodded. "Don't tell Jenny," he said with a wink.

"I won't."

"You almost stole the show today, you know that? You were the prettiest girl in the wedding, besides your mom of course."

"My mommy is very pretty," Kate agreed. "But Aunt Peyton is the bride, so she automatically is the prettiest. That's what mommy said earlier, anyway."

He laughed. "Peyton is very beautiful today, I'll give her that."

"And Haley and Jenny," Kate said.

"Yes, Haley and Jenny too. All of you ladies are very beautiful."

"Lucas?"

She was looking up at him with eyes full of awe and admiration and he couldn't help but smile softly down at her. She really was a great kid, he could already tell that. "What's up?"

"You look like a prince today," she said. "Don't you think so, mommy?"

He turned around in surprise to see Brooke standing behind him, watching them both with a smile on her face.

"He definitely is very handsome tonight."

"Lucas said you were the prettiest girl in the wedding, too," Kate said excitedly.

"Prettier than the bride?" Brooke said, eyeing him mischievously.

"Peyton was stunning," Lucas said, his eyes latching on hers, "just not as stunning as you."

Brooke took a seat next to him. "Picking favorites, are you?"

He just grinned, but Kate nodded. "He said I was his favorite flower girl too."

"Wow, you're just dissing the Jagielski clan today, aren't you, Lucas? Next you're going to say that Jake looked like a hobo or something."

He laughed as he stood up, stretching slightly. He'd been sitting here for over an hour now and he knew it was about time he got Brooke onto the dance floor.

"I love all of the Jagielskis," Lucas said before holding his hand out. "Now, what about that dance?"

She smiled softly as her eyes traveled from his extended hand and to his own eyes. Holding his gaze, she slid her hand into his.

"Kate, will you save me a dance after I'm done with your mom?" Lucas asked.

"Yeah!" Kate said excitedly.

He grinned at the little girl and then turned to look at Brooke, who was looking at him with admiration in her own eyes, and led her onto the dance floor. It was a slow song, one of many that you always seem to hear at weddings, but it was nice. His arms snaked around her waist and her hands rested on his shoulders.

His eyes locked onto hers when she looked up at him a second later and suddenly he knew that any denials he'd been having earlier about how he was feeling for her were no longer an issue. He liked Brooke. A lot. And if the way she was looking at him was any consolation, then she liked him too. He thought of his conversation with Jake and Nathan and about how he should take things slow and get to know her first.

The thing was, he wasn't sure he was going to be able to take things slowly, not when right here, staring into her beautiful eyes, he wanted nothing more than to kiss her.

"You're really good with her."

He was both grateful and disappointed when her gaze pulled from his and over to her daughter, who sat chatting with Lily and Jenny.

"My mom had Lily when I was eighteen, so I've had a lot of practice."

"Well, you're definitely a charmer with the kids." She chuckled softly. "Actually, I think Kate might have a little bit of a crush on you. When she first met you the other day, all she could talk about the rest of the night was how handsome and cool you were. Her words, not mine."

He grinned. "Well, I _am_ handsome and cool."

She just rolled her eyes. The music continued on and Lucas' grip on her waist tightened. She relaxed against him, letting her hands intertwine around his neck.

"I think it's great…You being a mom, I mean."

She looked up at him in surprise. "Really?"

He just nodded. "Yeah…I've always loved kids."

He didn't mean to make that sound like some sort of sneaky way of letting her know that he was very interested in her, but he didn't know how else to say it. And since he _was_ very interested in her, he figured he didn't have anything to lose.

She didn't say anything, but the look in her eyes as she stared up at him told him that it meant a lot to hear him say that. He smiled back at her, his eyes shining with the sincerity of his words. And then she rested her head on his chest and he wished that this music would go on forever because he didn't want this dance to ever end…

He really didn't learn that much more about the life of Brooke Davis tonight, but he did learn one thing and that was this: he was falling for her and he was falling for her hard and at lightning speed.

And he didn't mind at all.

* * *

**A/N: **I know you're all eager to learn more about Brooke's past, but it'll all come out over time. Next chapter, you'll be learning a lot more about her and why she's in Tree Hill and working at the café. This chapter was really more just to show where they both stand when it comes to how they feel about each other.

Okay, so did I mention how freaking AMAZING you all are?!! Cause you are. Really, I've gotten the most feedback on this story than any of my others. I'm getting an average of around 20 reviews a chapter, which is completely amazing to me. So thanks so much everyone! Every single review pretty much makes my day!

**Lena: **To be honest, I didn't think Brooke and Lucas would meet like anyone imagined they would, just because I doubted you all would think she'd work at the café :D. But I'm glad you liked it anyway. And I'm glad you liked how Lucas was mesmerized by Brooke. You saw even more of that in this chapter, which I hope you also liked. And yeah, Kate is Brooke's daughter. I know that some people were thinking she was, but I thought it still might be a surprise to some, so I'm glad that it was to you. You'll learn more about Kate in the upcoming chapters! Thanks so much for another awesome review!!


	5. Something More

**Something More**

Two days— that was how long it'd been since Lucas last saw her. During those past two days, he spent a majority of his time thinking about her. He was really starting to get annoyed with himself. It just wasn't normal for him to pine so continuously after a girl he had known for three days. At first he hadn't really minded. In fact, it was so exhilarating and new for him to experience such a unique connection with someone else. But he was tired of it now because he had made no progress whatsoever in what he was going to do about his feelings for Brooke—something that was entirely his fault because he'd done little to pursue her.

He'd gone to the café yesterday to see if she was there, but she apparently had the day off. He could've asked his mom for Brooke's number or address, but he was too stubborn to admit to his mother that he was interested in Brooke as more than just a friend. If he did, he would definitely get that 'I told you so' look she loved to wear and he didn't want that. So he had gone home in defeat and tried to write something for Lindsay in order to distract himself. It hadn't worked, though, and Lindsay was once again growing frustrated with his lack of material.

Now he found himself wandering back into the café, hoping that she wouldn't have another day off so that he could make some sort of progress with her. He wasn't sure what he would do once he actually did see her, although he did know that his main priority was simply to get to know her. He knew way too little about Brooke and he needed to change that.

His mother greeted him at the counter while his eyes slyly traveled around the café for any sign of Brooke. She was nowhere to be seen, however, and now his only hope was that she was in the back.

"Hey, Lucas," Karen said. "Coffee?"

He nodded, smiling gratefully as she poured him a cup. His eyes were on the back of the café, silently hoping that Brooke would walk out those doors any second now. Unfortunately it seemed as if his mom was working by herself right now, especially considering that there were only about three or four other people scattered around the café. A rush of frustration flowed through his mind and he knew that if he wanted to see Brooke today, he was going to have to take a different approach than he had yesterday.

"So…are you all alone today?" He was trying to be nonchalant, but his mother knew him too well and would probably catch on to him right away.

And sure enough, her eyes narrowed as she looked at him curiously. "Deb is coming in a couple of hours, but otherwise, yes, it's just me. Why?"

"No reason..."

"You're looking for Brooke, aren't you?"

He sighed. "Why would you think that?"

"I saw you two dancing at the wedding," she said with raised eyebrows, "and it was obvious that you two seemed to have some type of attraction to each other."

He looked away awkwardly. Talking about girls with his mom was one thing he'd always been uncomfortable with and that hadn't changed during his time away.

"Why don't you just go see her?"

This stole his attention. "I can't. I don't know where she lives."

"Haven't you been to Jake's house before?"

"Yeah…" His eyes narrowed in confusion. "But what does that have to do with anything?"

This time, Karen was the one that looked confused. "You didn't know that she was living there right now?"

"Oh, right, she's staying with Jenny while Peyton and Jake are away on their honeymoon."

"Well, yes she is, but she and Kate have been living with Jake and Peyton ever since the two of them moved to Tree Hill."

"Oh…" He wasn't sure he understood. "Wait, why would they be living with Jake and Peyton?"

"I don't think it's really my place to explain," Karen said.

This was something he wasn't expecting, but he really needed to learn that he should always expect the unexpected when it came to Brooke Davis. She seemed to have plenty of surprises up her sleeve.

"I think I'll stop by to see her, then," he said as he stood up and headed over to the door.

"Luke," Karen called back to him. He stopped and turned to look at her again. "There might have been a reason that Brooke didn't tell you her situation, so please just be respectful of that."

"I don't understand…"

"Brooke is a very proud and stubborn person," Karen explained. "She doesn't like taking help from anybody if she can help it, but unfortunately right now she has no other choice and I think in the presence of someone like you— a best-selling author with plenty of money who she really admires and likes— it's a bit shameful for her."

"She has nothing to be ashamed of," he said, knowing more than ever that that was true. He could care less about how much money a person had.

"Then if she mentions it, let her know that."

He nodded slowly, a small smile on his lips. "I will."

**888**

Brooke was up to her knees in chaos. Jenny was normally a very calm girl, but with her daughter's influence, the two of them were a pair of maniacs. She really should have gotten used to this by now, but Peyton or Jake always seemed to be around when the two girls went into one of their crazy modes and she'd never had to deal with them by herself. Their energetic state was partly the fault of herself considering that she'd very stupidly let them have two cups of ice cream after lunch. Kate was way too good at sweet talking her way into getting what she wanted, something she very obviously got from Brooke.

She knew it sounded bad, but she couldn't wait until Wednesday, when Kate and Jenny would return to school after their summer break. Of course she'd miss getting to spend time with both of them, but that way, she'd be free to go back to work and deal with the much less stressful environment of the café.

"Okay, that's it!" After she narrowly avoided being knocked over by Kate, who was apparently playing tag with Jenny, she'd had enough. Kate immediately froze in the center of the living, followed by Jenny a second later. She moved over to the TV, flipping it on. "You've already managed to almost break _three _of Peyton's lamps, so I think it's time for you both to just sit down and watch some TV before you actually do some real damage."

"But, mom, we weren't done!"

"Kate." Her eyes narrowed dangerously. There were very few times that Brooke would put on her tough face and get stern with her daughter, but Kate knew well enough by now that messing with her mom was not a good option, which was why she quickly conceded.

"Sorry…"

Jenny muttered an apology too as they both collapsed onto the couch and turned their attention to the TV. Brooke gave a sigh of relief as she moved back into the kitchen, which she had been in the process of cleaning. She really wasn't fond of housework. She never had been. That probably was because, until the age of eighteen, she'd had maids to do all of the cleaning for her and her parents. Growing up in a house where money was never an issue hadn't exactly given her a lot of the experience for the real world, something she deeply regretted after getting pregnant with Kate and basically being disowned by her parents. Ever since she'd been cut off from her parent's money, she'd never really been able to make it out on her own, hence the reason she was living in a relatively small, three bedroom house with four other people.

Letting out an exaggerated sigh, she warily moved towards the sink and began loading the dishwasher with the piles of dishes that littered the sink and counter. Cleaning had to be one of the most dismal activities out there, which is probably why her mind always drifted off into another land whenever she cleaned. Normally, she was a little grateful for the chance to escape reality for a bit, but lately, when given the chance to drift, her mind always wandered off to thoughts of the handsome blue-eyed blond who'd stolen her attention three short days ago.

Of course it wasn't a bad thing to think about Lucas, but she was getting a bit frustrated at her newfound obsession with a man she barely knew. It felt like she was becoming the boy crazy teenaged Brooke Davis that she used to be and she really didn't want that. Her teen years weren't exactly something she was proud of.

This was different, though, and she knew it. Lucas Scott was a special guy and somehow she had a feeling he would be an important part of her life. That morning in the café three days ago, she had felt an overwhelming sense of ease when around him. It was almost like they already knew each other. It had never been that way with a guy before. She'd always felt insecure around most guys — although she'd never let them know it — but with Lucas, she could just be herself.

The ring of a doorbell broke through her thoughts and she couldn't help but be thankful for the distraction. Kate and Jenny were standing at the front door silently, obviously waiting for Brooke to come answer it.

"Someone's at the door," Kate whispered.

She chuckled lightly as reached for the doorknob. "Yes, I realized that."

The door flung open and her eyes widened in surprise as she saw the person she hadn't been able to stop thinking about these past few days.

"Lucas," she said, confusion evident in her voice, "what are you doing here?"

He wore a soft smile as he looked down at her. "Sorry, is this a bad time?"

"No, no," she replied, smiling back at him. "Come on in."

Lucas was met with the excited cries of both Kate and Jenny, who rushed over to meet him. "Hi, girls." He looked slightly overwhelmed as Kate started bouncing up and down, asking him to come play tag with them, while Jenny joined in with her.

"Kate, Jenny, why don't you go finish watching your show?"

"But Lucas is here." Kate was looking up at her with puppy dog eyes and Brooke could tell that she was once again trying to use her charm to get her way. It wasn't going to work this time, however. "And we all wanna play tag."

"You played tag earlier," Brooke said, "and now you're watching TV."

"Well, can Lucas watch TV with us?" Kate asked hopefully.

Brooke glanced over at Lucas, an apologetic smile on her face. She doubted he came here to watch TV with Jenny and Kate, although he probably wouldn't mind doing it, judging by the fact that he seemed to like the kids as much as they liked him.

"How about I talk a little bit with your mom first and then I'll come join you both?"

Kate looked like she wanted to protest, but reluctantly gave in. "Okay..." She looked up at Lucas. "But don't take too long, okay?"

"We won't," he said with a grin.

After Kate and Jenny settled back down, Brooke led Lucas into the small dining room. She felt a little awkward as she motioned for him to take a seat at the table, especially since she realized she had no idea how he knew she'd be here. Now that she did think about it, though, she knew Karen must have probably told him.

"Sorry to drop in so unexpectedly," he said once she sat down.

"As long as you don't mind the mess, it's okay. Things have been a little crazy today."

"Why's that?"

"Kate and Jenny are dosed up on two cups of ice cream each and I'm also pretty sure they got into Peyton's candy stash up in her and Jake's bedroom when I was attempting to clean earlier. Ever since then, they've been bouncing off the walls, making it impossible for me to get anything done."

"Well, it sounds like you've got your hands full."

She nodded. "But you didn't come here to hear about my day. What's up?"

"I just wanted to see you," he said with an innocent smile.

This boy really did have way too much of an effect on her because it wasn't often that she found herself blushing. "Really…"

"Really."

A small smile lit up her lips as she played with her fingers, looking anywhere but him. It wasn't that she was uncomfortable, but more that she was increasingly flattered by the attention he paid her. No man had ever treated her this way before and so she really had no idea how to respond to it.

"So you're living with Jake and Peyton."

Her eyes met his in surprise, but she nodded. "Yeah…we've been here six months now."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Should I have? I mean, we've known each other for all of three days so there really wasn't a lot of time for me to go into all the details of my personal life."

She couldn't help the defensive tone that arose in her voice. It wasn't like she was completely ashamed that she and Kate were living here with them, but there was still part of her that was angry at herself for not being able to completely provide for herself and her daughter. In some ways, she felt like a failure. But she didn't want Lucas to know that.

"I'm sorry." His voice was soft and sincere. "I didn't mean to pry."

She smiled again, feeling slightly guilty for making him think that he was doing something wrong. "It's okay, Lucas. I didn't mean to overreact."

"I'm just really curious about you, Brooke. You're a very intriguing person, do you know that?"

And there he was, flattering her once again. "Am I?"

His eyes were locked onto her face and this time she couldn't look away. "Very much."

"I'm guessing you want to know why I'm living here."

"Not if you don't want to talk about it," he said with a shrug.

"I don't mind," she replied. To her surprise, she really didn't. Normally she'd never go into the personal details of her life with a person she barely knew, but Lucas was different. He was trustworthy and somehow she knew that he wouldn't judge her.

"It's kind of a long story," Brooke began, "but I'll spare you some of the boring details. Basically, my parents cut me off when I told them I was pregnant with Kate. I come from one of those rich socialite families that think appearance and superiority are everything, so of course my parents couldn't have their knocked up eighteen year old daughter ruin their reputation. I ended up moving in with Peyton, which I didn't really mind considering she was more of my family than my parents were. I got a job and started providing for myself and then Kate was born and of course it got a lot harder…

"Every day was always a struggle for us. I couldn't continue school at NYU since I couldn't afford it, so I focused on just making enough money to pay the bills. Thankfully, I had Peyton to always help me out. I don't know what I would have done without her. But about a year ago, Peyton and Jake finished school and got engaged and Peyton made the big decision to move down here. She didn't want to leave me and Kate, but I knew that this was something she had to do and so I told her I'd be okay and that she needed to be with Jake and Jenny. And that's when everything got really hard. I was working at a restaurant and pulling double shifts almost every day."

"That must have been tough," Lucas quietly said.

"It was. I couldn't spend a lot of time with Kate and at the same time I was barely making enough to support us. And then the restaurant closed down and I had to start looking for another job and then next thing I knew, I couldn't pay the rent for that month or the month after that. I was just completely loaded in debt. Then we got kicked out of our apartment. I didn't know what else to do, so I just packed all of our stuff up and moved us both down here, where Peyton and Jake were both thankfully happy to help us out. Jake introduced me to your mom and she gave me a job at the café. Ever since then, I've just been trying to get myself financially stable again." She took a deep breath, leaning back in her chair. "And that's why I'm living here with Jake and Peyton."

When she looked at him, she saw no criticism or pity in his eyes—she saw nothing but tenderness.

"You went through a lot," he said, "but you're doing good now, I can tell."

She nodded. "And soon I'll be able to move Kate and myself to a place of our own. With Peyton and Jake married, I really don't want to impose much longer. They say they don't mind and I know they really don't, but _I _mind. I'm just here until I can get fully back on my feet."

"Are you going to move back to New York after you do?" he asked.

"I don't know. New York was a much more expensive place to live compared to Tree Hill and since most of the people I care about live here now, I don't know if I'll ever move back. I actually really like it here and so does Kate. Peyton and Jake are already family and Nathan and Haley are such great friends and your mom is completely amazing…It just feels like home here."

"Tree Hill has a way of doing that to you. I've been to so many countries, but nowhere ever came close to replacing Tree Hill. It's home and it always will be."

Her eyes fluttered over to him curiously. "Why did it take you so long to come home, then?"

"I was just really restless, I guess," he answered slowly. "There was something missing from my life and I hadn't found it in Tree Hill, but I thought that maybe I could find it somewhere else."

"Did you find whatever it was that you were looking for?"

"I don't know for sure."

She kinked an eyebrow. "You don't know for sure?"

His eyes were locked onto hers. "No…I don't know yet. But I think I will soon."

She really didn't have much of an idea of what he was talking about, but she couldn't look away as his eyes penetrated hers. There was such a blazing intensity in his eyes and an overwhelming rush of confusing feelings poured over her as she tried to make sense of his words. And then his hand was reaching across the table to rest on the top of her own hand. She froze at the feel of his warm skin against hers.

"Brooke, I was wondering if maybe—."

"Are you guys done yet?"

Their eye contact was suddenly cut off as Kate came into the room, an expectant look smothered across her face. Lucas immediately moved his hand pack into his lap.

"Kate, what did I tell you about interrupting?" Brooke was unable to keep the frustration out of her voice. She and Lucas had been having some sort of moment a second ago and she was pretty sure he was about to ask her something…something she was really hoping he would ask her.

"But you've been in here for _forever_."

"I'll be in there soon, Kate," Lucas said, smiling sweetly down at her. "I just need a few more minutes with your mom."

Kate seemed enamored by Lucas' gentle voice and so nodded quickly before moving back into the living room.

"Sorry about that," Brooke said. "Kate has a knack for coming in at the most inappropriate times."

"It's okay," he said with a grin.

"So, um…what were you saying?" She felt desperate as she asked him this, but there was just something in her that _knew_ what he wanted to ask her and she wanted nothing more than to say yes.

"Oh, right." He looked straight at her again. "Look, I know we've only known each other for a few days, but I feel like I have this connection to you and I really just want to keep getting to know you. So I was wondering if maybe you'd like to come have dinner with me tomorrow night. I mean as more than just a dinner, though...More like a _date_."

And that was exactly what she wanted to hear. A smile sprung onto her face. "I'd love to, Lucas."

His eyes lit up in excitement, something she found very cute. "Great. I guess my mom can watch the kids and I'll pick you up at around seven?"

"Sounds great."

Kate popped her head in again. "Are you done now?"

Brooke just laughed. "Yes, sweetie, we're done."

Kate rushed over to Lucas and grabbed his hand. "Come on, Lucas. You can watch Hannah Montana with us. There's a marathon on today."

Brooke held back another laugh as Lucas was being pulled helplessly into the living by Kate. Poor guy. "Have fun," she called back to him.

"I will," he called back, sending her a wink.

A happy sigh escaped her lips as she sat back down at the table. She wasn't sure that accepting a date with Lucas was a good idea, especially considering the fact that he'd been a world traveling bachelor these past few years, but she did know that she wanted more than to go out with him and get to know him more. Because she knew by now that she didn't want just a friendship with him— she wanted something more.

* * *

**A/N: **So I'm super tired right now and I have a major headache, but I wanted to finish this up so you all could finally read this. I hope there aren't a ton of obvious mistakes, because I didn't do a ton of proofreading. Next chapter, you'll be learning some more about Brooke's past and a little bit more about Lucas' too. Part of the fun of this story is unraveling both of their pasts because they're obviously a lot different from what happened the show, so just be patient and all will be revealed!

Thanks so much for everyone's reviews last chapter! I've been busier than normal this week, so I've barely had time to respond to them, but I appreciate each and every one!


	6. Just the Beginning

**Just the Beginning**

In her short six months in Tree Hill, this place had become her home more quickly than she could have imagined possible. She hadn't been sure that she and Kate would live there permanently when they'd first moved to Tree Hill, but now as she watched Kate and Jenny fool around with Jamie next to the pool in Nathan and Haley's backyard, she didn't know if they would ever be able to leave.

Like she had told Lucas yesterday, Tree Hill felt like home.

"So?"

Brooke looked away from the kids to find Haley staring at her expectantly. She had another day off, something she was extremely grateful for, and was spending her morning catching up with Haley. When she'd moved to Tree Hill, she'd never expected to grow so close to so many people, but when she'd met the Scott family, that's exactly what had happened. Nathan and Haley had welcomed her into their circle of friends and family with open arms and Haley had made it clear from the start that whenever she needed any help, she could go to her. There was just something about Haley that was instantly trustworthy and Brooke knew right away that they would become good friends. And they had. In fact, Brooke was closer to Haley than she was to any of the friends that she'd known for years back in New York.

"So…?"

Haley sighed. "So do you have something to tell me?"

She took a sip of her coffee, smiling innocently. "I don't know what you mean."

"Hmm, really?" Haley grinned. "You know, I'm Lucas' best friend."

"I had no idea!" she exclaimed in mock surprise.

Haley ignored her. "He tells me everything, Brooke. _Everything_."

Her eyes sparkled mischievously. "So he told you that he kissed me yesterday?"

"What?" Haley's mouth fell open. "Did he really?"

"No," she replied with a smile.

"Brooke! Seriously, though, when exactly were you planning on tell me that you and Lucas are going on a date tonight?"

"I've been here for like fifteen minutes, Haley," Brooke said with a laugh. "I was going to get to it eventually."

"_Eventually_?" She shook her head, feigning offense. "And here I was thinking that maybe, just maybe, you and I were good enough friends that you would tell me the moment you got the chance that you and my best friend are dating. But no, apparently I'm only good enough for you to _eventually_ tell me. That hurts, Brooke, it really does."

"Shut up," Brooke said with a roll of her eyes, "you know you're one of my best friends, Haley."

"Best, huh?"

She nodded. "You're right up there behind Peyton."

"Hmm, well in that case, I can forgive you for taking your time in telling me about you and Lucas."

"I appreciate that," she said with a grin.

Haley leaned forward, resting her elbows on the counter as she looked at Brooke seriously. "So can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"How do you feel about Lucas? I mean, I know that you two have an attraction to each other, but besides that, how do you really feel about him?"

"I guess I just feel like he's different than any guy I've ever dated," she replied after a moment. "There's something about him that makes me feel comfortable. He's a genuinely nice person who doesn't judge me and isn't turned off by the fact that I'm a mom. He actually seems to care about me and he wants to get to know me, just like I want to get to know him. And on top of all that, he's amazing with Kate…To be honest, he's the only guy that I've ever met that has the potential to be the person I let into my life and my heart. I know that might seem a little strange to hear, considering he and I have barely known each other a week, but it's just how I feel. I can't properly explain it."

"I don't think it's strange," Haley said. "I actually kind of understand what you mean. I'll admit when I met Nathan, it wasn't love at first sight, but we sort of had this connection that at the time was really confusing and hard to explain, not to mention that Lucas wasn't very happy about it, but it was there from pretty much the start. So my point is I get what you mean and I think it's great."

"You do?"

"Yeah." Haley smiled lightly. "I know Lucas and I know that if there's any guy out there who's going to treat you the way you deserve to be treated, it's him. There's only one thing I'm worried about…"

Her eyes narrowed. "What?"

Haley paused for a moment. "Lucas hasn't stayed put in one place for more than a few weeks for two years now. I just don't want him to decide he's bored and leave again, which would only result in him hurting both you and Kate."

A rush of anxiety flowed through her. "You don't really think he would do that, do you?"

"Honestly, no, I don't think he would. But I can never say for sure. It's just that before Lucas left for his first book tour, he was really restless here. Nothing could satisfy him…" She paused again as she glanced at Brooke. "You know what, never mind. I really don't think he's going to leave again."

"Oh. Okay. Why?"

"Because I think you might give Lucas a reason to stay."

She kinked an eyebrow. "Why would you think _I _can keep Lucas from gallivanting all over the world again?"

"What you were saying about Lucas earlier," Haley said thoughtfully, "that's what he was saying about you too. There's something there between you two and I have a feeling that it's going to be something special. Lucas said he was looking for something when he was traveling the world—he just didn't know what it was. But maybe it was love. Maybe it was _you_."

"Haley…" She hadn't even considered that Lucas might pack up and leave again. If she had, she might not have agreed to a date with him. But to hear Haley say that she might be the thing that Lucas spent the last two years away from home searching for was not something she was expecting.

"Okay." Haley stood up and moved towards the sliding glass door. "I can tell that this is a lot to take in, so why don't we go outside and just chill with the kids?"

Brooke smiled. "Sounds good."

"And hey," Haley said as they stepped outside, "no brooding. That's Lucas' job."

"Right," Brooke said with a laugh.

**888**

It was seven o'clock on the dot when Lucas pulled up to Jake and Peyton's house. His mom's car was parked out front; she would be watching the kids tonight. He picked up the bouquet of daisies he'd bought from the passenger seat and stepped outside, making his way slowly up the walkway.

He'd never really been the type of guy to get nervous over a date and that was still the case with Brooke tonight. Yet there something different about his date with Brooke, something that made him want to make sure that he could give her the best night possible. She was a girl who deserved the best and he would make sure she got it.

The door was answered the second after he knocked by an excited looking Kate.

"Lucas!"

"Hey, Kate. Is your mom around?"

He was distracted as Lily suddenly appeared out of thin air and launched herself into his arms. His mother appeared behind her. "Kate, didn't your mom say just the other day that you shouldn't be answering the door by yourself?"

"Yes…But, Karen, but it's Lucas!"

Karen just shook her head, a soft smile on her lips, before turning to look at Lucas. "Brooke will be down in a second."

His eyes trailed slowly over to the staircase, feeling suddenly impatient to see her again, and Lily jumped back out of his arms and onto the ground, pulling him inside.

"Who are those flowers for, Luke?" Lily asked.

"Brooke," he answered with a smile.

A small pout appeared on her face. "None for me?"

"Sorry, Lils," he said, "but next to time I take you out, I'll make sure to pick some up for you."

"What about me?" Kate was looking at him eagerly.

"And me?" Jenny added.

Before he could respond, Brooke had suddenly appeared at the bottom of the stairs. He was not able to properly answer Kate or Jenny's questions due to the fact that Brooke, in her fairly short but modest black dress, looked too astonishingly beautiful for words. Her eyes shifted over to him, a playful smile on her lips.

"Looks like you've got some competition, Brooke," Karen said, motioning to the three girls who had gathered around Lucas.

A laugh escaped Brooke's lips as she moved over to him. "I guess so."

Gaining some composure, he handed her the flowers. "You look beautiful, Brooke."

She took them. "Thank you. And thanks for the daisies."

"No problem. Are you ready?" She nodded and he moved his arm out for her to take. "We'll see you later, ladies," he said, winking at the girls and then smiling at his mom.

"Don't stay out too late!" He grinned at his mother's comment.

"Yeah and next time take me with you!" Kate's voice came right after his mother's and they both laughed.

"You had quite the welcoming crew," she mentioned as she slipped into the car.

He just smiled, leaning against the car door. "What can I say? People love me. Especially girls."

"Cocky much?" she said, laughing lightly.

He just sent her a wink as he shut the door and walked around the car over to the driver's seat. "So, I was thinking I'd take you out this great Italian place I know about fifteen minutes out of Tree Hill. Sound good?"

"Sounds great. I love Italian."

He smiled at her as he pulled out of the driveway. "Me too."

"So, Lucas," she turned to him with a grin, "as a fan of your books, I have to ask— how's your writing going?"

He was unable to keep a small groan from escaping his lips. "It's…going."

"In other words, you've got nothing."

"Pretty much, yeah," he said, chuckling lightly. "And it isn't helping that my editor never stops bothering me about it. You'd think that after two books in two years she'd be a little more lenient with me. Most authors take years to get just one book out. But no, she just keeps calling and calling, asking if I've come up with anything good. If you ask me, she's just making my current case of writer's block even worse."

"I'm sure you'll find some inspiration soon"

He nodded. "I'm sure I will too. I just don't want to write something that isn't up to par with my first two, you know? I want it to be the best yet and that is going to take some time."

"Well, I wouldn't worry. Anything written by you is bound to be good."

He chuckled. "You flatter me, Brooke."

"I figured it was about time I did the flattering since you've done most of it on past occasions."

By now he was pulling into the restaurant parking lot. As they walked inside, it took all he had not to slip his arm around her waist or reach for her hand. But they weren't at that point yet and he knew he needed to keep things as friendly as possible. He didn't want to mess anything up tonight.

After sitting down at their table and ordering their drinks, Lucas leaned back in his chair, staring across the table at her.

"So, Brooke, tell me about yourself."

She took a sip of her water. "What do you want to know?"

"Why don't you start off from the beginning?"

"The very beginning?" she said with a laugh. "Okay, but I really don't remember much of my life as an infant."

He grinned. "You know what I mean. Where were you born? What was your childhood like? What were you like in high school? Etcetera..."

"Well, I was born and raised in New York City," she answered briskly. "My childhood was boring, trust me. And you _don't _want to know what I was like in high school."

He cocked an eyebrow. "Come on, Brooke, I'll tell you what I was like."

"I don't need you to tell me what you were like. Haley and your mom have shared many stories of your high school days."

"And what did they tell you?"

"You and Haley have been best friends since seventh grade and you and your mom have always been close. I know that your father basically abandoned you and your mom when he learned that she was pregnant with you and then got Nathan's mom pregnant with him a few months later. And because of that you two hated each other until your later years in high school. In short, you were basically the brooding star athlete of the Tree Hill Ravens basketball team with a complicated family and a love of reading and writing."

"I guess that's the abbreviated version of my life," he said with a grin. "But since you obviously know about me, you are now forced to tell me more about you because I haven't been back long enough to hear any interesting stories from Peyton."

She didn't appear to be happy to talk about herself. "Honestly, Lucas, my life was really boring up until high school."

"Tell me about high school, then."

She tried to hide her aggravated sigh, but he caught it. "Fine. I was the typical slutty partying head cheerleader who lived on one night stands with just about any guy I could get my hands on. That's about all there was to me back then."

"I think you're being hard on yourself," he said softly. "We all have parts of our lives that we aren't proud of."

"What about you then?" she said with raised eyebrows. "I've never heard anyone say anything bad about you. You seem like Mr. Perfect to me."

Shaking his head, he laughed lightly. "That's probably because no one likes to look back and recall the bad stories of their life. My mom and Haley probably told you the good stuff about me, but I've had plenty of bad moments as well."

A look of surprise crossed her face and he wondered if she really did think he was practically flawless. He hoped not, because he really wasn't. There were many times that he'd screwed up in his life. He was just as bad as the next guy.

"Like what? If you don't mind me asking, I mean."

"Well, there's probably too many to name, but during my junior year, right after I joined the basketball team, I went through this really rebellious stage of my life. I was stressed because Dan and Nathan were suddenly in my life, even though none of them wanted to be there, and I just sort of buckled underneath the pressure. I started hanging out with the popular crowd and ignoring my real friends. I went to parties and started drinking and hooking up with random girls every weekend." He shook his head, cringing at those memories. "Before then, I never used to do any of that stuff. I never drank, never went to parties, and I'd never slept around. Luckily, Haley and Jake managed to knock some sense into me after a few months of craziness and I found my way back to who I used to be."

"Okay." She was still looking at him in surprise. "I guess you're not as perfect as I made you out to be."

"Did you really think I was?" he asked curiously.

"I didn't really think you were perfect, but…" She just shrugged as she played with the rim of her glass. "You're a really good guy, Lucas. It's hard to look at you and imagine you doing all those things that _I _used to do all throughout high school."

"Everyone gives into temptation at some point in their lives," he said simply. "And I'm still no where near perfect, Brooke, trust me. Did you forget that I just spent two years away practically neglecting all of the people I love?"

"You didn't neglect them," she said, her eyes focused intently on him. "You just had some soul searching to do. Besides, you came home and that's all that matters."

He let out a sigh and took a sip of his drink. "I guess so…"

They're interrupted by the waiter, who quickly took their orders before moving over to the other tables. His eyes landed on Brooke again.

"Brooke, if you don't mind me asking, what's the story behind you and Kate?"

She rested her elbows on the table and smiled. "I knew we'd get to this question tonight."

"I'm sorry. I know it's a personal question and you don't have to answer it, but..."

"No, I don't mind. You want to know about her father right?"

He nodded. "If that's okay with you."

"It is," she said, smiling softly at him. "You know how I said I was a slut in high school? Well, when I got into college I decided to tone it down a notch. I knew that I needed to grow up and take some responsibility if I ever wanted to really go somewhere in life. And so I started to do that. I stopped hooking up with random guys and going to clubs and partying every night. Of course that was hard since it was college and college parties can be pretty amazing, but I knew that I had to, and so I only hit the weekend parties. It was a small step, but it was all I could do at the time.

"Then, one Friday night, about a month after college started, Peyton and I went out to a party and this guy caught my eye. His name was Chase Adams and he was this sweet looking junior who I'd seen around campus before. He was one of those guys that I used to love to hook up with because he just seemed so innocent. Peyton said that it was because I like to corrupt guys like him." There was a hint of bitterness in her voice and he could tell she wasn't proud of what she'd just said.

"Anyway, that's what I did. I corrupted him; at least I thought I did. I say that because a month later, when I found out I was pregnant, I learned that he had a girlfriend and apparently they were pretty serious. I'd barely seen him around since that night and honestly I didn't care to see him again; he was just a one night stand. But when I found out about Kate I knew that I had to tell him. It was only right. And when I did tell him, he told me about his girlfriend and that she couldn't find out. Then he basically told me that he thought I was a slut and that he didn't even believe that the baby was his — which I knew wasn't true because like I said, I'd been really cutting down on the one night stands and hadn't been with a guy for a good two or three weeks before him. After that, he said didn't want anything to do with me or the baby. I guess he wasn't as innocent as he made himself out to be. I never saw him again."

"Sounds like a jerk." In the back of his mind he wanted to strangle this Chase Adams. He obviously didn't deserve an amazing girl like Brooke Davis and a daughter like Kate.

"He was," she said, just as their food was delivered to their table. She waited until the waiter left to speak again. "I'm much better off without him, anyway. It made things a lot less complicated. Peyton helped take care of me and Kate after my parents disowned me and other than her, I didn't need anyone else. We were perfectly fine on our own."

"Peyton seems like a great friend."

"She's basically my sister in all ways except blood. We've known each other since kindergarten and have been best friends ever since."

"It's good that you had her for support…" He paused for a moment, still trying to fathom why anyone would just ignore the fact that they were going to be a parent. "I just don't understand how a guy could just take no responsibility to for his actions. If I was ever in that position, no matter how well I knew the girl, I'd want to make sure she was okay and I'd want to be a part of the child's life."

She grinned. "If only all guys felt the same. Unfortunately most are just jerks."

He cracked a smile. "I should be trying to defend my gender, but right now I have to say that I agree with you."

"Anyway," she said, taking a bite of her ravioli, "enough of this dark stuff. Let's talk about something fun."

"Like what?"

"Well," she said thoughtfully, "you've been all around the world. Do you speak any other languages?"

"You'd think I should," he said, chuckling, "but I've never really stayed put in one place long enough to learn more than a few words in each place, most of which normally involved 'where's the bathroom?'"

"Hmm, too bad. I really like a guy who can serenade me in some romantic foreign language. I may never know what he's saying, but at least it sounds good."

He laughed. "Sorry to disappoint."

"It's okay." She sighed exaggeratingly and then grinned. "I guess I'll just have to make do."

**888**

They spent the rest of night talking and enjoying each other's company. He told her stories of his time abroad and she told him more about Kate. Throughout the night he hadn't been able to keep himself from thinking about how comfortable everything was. They could talk to each without worrying about being judged. He trusted her and as far as he could tell, she trusted him. There was a connection between them, something he'd noticed from the moment they met, that made it incredibly easy to just be themselves around each other.

This connection also made it incredibly hard to resist from simply staring at her too long or reaching across the table to grab her hand. There was just something about her that attracted him, both physically and emotionally, and by the end of the night, it was a struggle not to just pull her into his arms and kiss her.

But he couldn't. Not yet, anyway. Even though they covered a lot of ground tonight, there was still a lot more to learn about each other and he wanted to take things slowly as they did. He didn't want her to think she was just some girl because she was more than that. And so when he did kiss her, he wanted it to be at the right moment and at the right time. He had a feeling it would be soon, but not tonight. Tonight was just the beginning for them. He knew without a doubt that they would have their chance soon enough.

As he walked her up to her door later that night, he decided that he really didn't want this night to be over. Unfortunately, though, their time was up for now.

"Thanks for coming out with me tonight, Brooke," he said as they stood in front of the door.

"Thanks for asking me. I had a lot of fun."

"Me too…As cheesy as this sounds, I really don't really want this night to end."

Her eyes gaze softly into his. "I don't either."

"I want to do this again," he said and against his will, his hand found its way to her hand, "but I don't think I can wait too long. Do you think I can take you out to lunch tomorrow?"

"I'd like that," she murmured.

A wide smile appears on his lips. "Good. Do you have to work tomorrow?"

"I've got the morning shift," she answered. "I get off at twelve."

"Then how about I meet you at the café a few minutes after twelve?"

"That works for me."

He smiled as he craned his neck down and brushed his lips against her cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow then." He slowly backed away, his hand releasing hers.

She nodded, her eyes latched onto his. "I can't wait."

And he couldn't either.

* * *

**A/N: **Sorry for the wait for this chapter. A week between updates isn't really a long time for a lot of people, but I haven't gone a week without updating for a long time, so it's weird for me. I've just been super busy. I'm not really used to having to juggle real life and writing because I always seem to be able to find a time to write no matter what, but it hasn't been that way lately. Hopefully I'll have the next chapter done sooner.

Okay, so I want to all let you know right off the bat that Chase won't be a part of this story. I realize that it would create some good drama, but I never really intended for this story to be super dramatic. It's really more about the development of the Brucas relationship in this AU setting. There will definitely be some drama later on, but it won't include Chase. I just wanted to make that clear, because I'm sure many of you were thinking that he'll pop up at some point and I don't want to mislead any of you!

Thanks for reading and please remember to review!!!

**Lena**: It's good to know that you're enjoying everything with Kate and Brooke. I agree that it's always a little weird to have Brooke or Lucas have a kid with someone else, but I really liked the idea of Lucas coming into Brooke and Kate's life and becoming a part of their family and a father to Kate. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed their date this chapter!


	7. Lucky

**Lucky**

For the fifth time that day, at least according to Nathan, Lucas missed the shot. His brother had invited him to the Rivercourt that morning to play basketball like old times, but Lucas really wasn't in his element today.

"Come on, man," Nathan said as he scooped the ball up from the ground. "It's no fun playing against you when you suck. I like to win, but I at least like it to be a challenge."

Lucas smiled guiltily. "Sorry. I'm just having an off day." He opened his hands up, motioning for Nathan to pass him the ball, but his brother just shook his head.

"I think you're done for the day." Sitting down on the benches, Nathan told Lucas to sit next to him. "You're obviously distracted," Nathan said thoughtfully, "I mean let's face it, you suck compared to me, but you don't suck _this_ badly. So what's the problem?"

He shrugged. "There really isn't a problem."

And there really wasn't. Yes, he _was_ distracted, but it wasn't for any bad reasons. He just couldn't stop thinking about Brooke and their date last night or the one they would be having in a few hours. Then there was the fact that last night, after he returned home from his and Brooke's date, he'd found suddenly found inspiration for for his newest book. And so, since then, he really wasn't able to focus fully on the real world around him, which was most likely the reason he was playing horribly today.

"Well, then, somethinghas to be on your mind. Or should I say someone_._" Lucas looked away innocently while Nathan grinned at him expectantly. "So, how _was _your date with Brooke last night? You never got around to telling me."

A smile appeared on his face at the mention of Brooke. "It went great."

"Look at you, man," Nathan said, laughing at him, "you've only gone on one date and she's already got you whipped. That's sad, Luke, it really is."

Lucas sent his brother a playful smirk. "Says the guy who got married at sixteen."

Nathan rolled his eyes. "Very funny. Seriously, though, you've got it bad for her, I can tell."

"She's just an amazing girl," he said, turning serious. "There's something about her that's different than any other girl I've met."

"Are you going to go out again?"

"Yeah, today actually. We're going to lunch."

Nathan looked at him in surprise. "You just couldn't wait, could you?"

"I feel like I've been missing out on her from my life and now that she's in it I can't help but want to know everything I can about her."

"I guess I know what you mean, but what happened to my advice about taking it slow and being friends first?"

"You know I never actually take your advice," Lucas said with a grin.

"Really, Lucas." Nathan was looking at him seriously now and he perked up, knowing that whatever Nathan was about to say was likely to be important. "I'm all for you dating Brooke, but you've got more than just her to consider."

"Nathan, I know—."

"She's got a kid, Luke," his brother cut in. "We both know that you've become a free spirit these past few years, so you can't become a part of both Brooke and Kate's lives and then decide you're bored and leave. I mean, how do you even know you'll be happy just staying in one place? You just can't mess with their hearts, Luke; they've been through enough."

No one ever really understood why he spent the last two years away from home, living in a new place ever couple of weeks, and he didn't blame them because he never really explained it. He'd talked to Haley and his mom about it a few times, but he'd never really delved into it completely. But now as Nathan questioned his commitment to both staying in Tree Hill and being a part of Brooke and Kate's lives, he knew it was time to set things straight.

"I understand why you'd be worried about that," he said softly, "but I'm not going to be messing with anyone's heart."

"How do you know, though?"

"Because I've spent this last few years looking for something. I never really knew what it was, but I thought I could find it somewhere in this world if I looked hard enough. I just wanted something that would make me feel…complete. I think that's the best word to describe it. I had the money and I had the fame, but none of it made me completely happy. And that's what I wanted: to just feel completely at peace and complete. That's what I've been looking for."

A silence overtook them after Lucas finished and Nathan looked at him thoughtfully. After a few moments, his brother spoke. "You ever think that this whole time you've just been searching for you other half?"

Lucas narrowed his eyes. "Love," he said, nodding slowly. "I think that's what I've been looking for."

"And you think you might find it with Brooke," Nathan stated.

"I really don't know for sure. All I know is that ever since I came home I've had this overwhelming sense of peace— like this is where I'm supposed to be. And I feel that most strongly when I'm with her."

"Well." Nathan took a deep breath. "I think I can trust that you already care enough about her not to hurt her. If she's what's going to make you happy, then there's no reason to hold back. So I don't know what else to tell you now other than to go for it."

"I was planning to," he smirked, but then he patted Nathan's shoulder. "Thanks for giving me your approval. I know you and Haley care a lot about Brooke, so it means a lot to hear that you trust me with her."

Nathan grinned. "Of course I do. You're a good guy, Luke, and I know that you'll take care of Brooke."

"Thanks."

"Now," Nathan stood up from the benches and dribbled the basketball, "do you think that this little heart to heart of ours has drained your mind of Brooke just enough for us to get one more game in?"

He laughed as he stole the ball from Nathan. "We'll just have to see."

**888**

Noon came around quickly, much to Brooke's relief. When she was typically excited for something, time always seemed to go by slower than usual, but luckily that wasn't the case today. Karen had taken the morning off today, which meant Brooke was busier than usual, but she didn't really mind. Instead, Deb was in for the morning.

"Deb, I just clocked out," Brooke said, pulling off her apron and meeting Deb at the counter.

Nathan's mother glanced up from the cash register curiously. "In a hurry?" she asked.

Brooke's eyes moved from the front window where she was currently looking for any sign of Lucas and back to Deb. "Not really."

Deb smiled knowingly at her. "Hmm…"

"Alright." Brooke leaned against the counter. "Who told you about me and Lucas?"

Deb just chuckled. "I was over at Nathan and Haley's earlier this morning and Lucas stopped by to meet Nathan and I heard him mention to Haley that you two were going out today. I have to say that I'm a little surprised. No one ever mentioned anything about the two of you dating."

"That's because we're not even really dating."

"Really? The way Lucas was talking about you earlier, it seemed like you were."

"Well…" Brooke looked back out towards the window, but Lucas wasn't anywhere in sight. Looking back at Deb, she frowned. "We haven't really talked about being in a relationship," she admitted. "We went out last night, but we never really made anything official. But we're going out again today, so I'm not sure what that means…"

"Well, I'd say that you'll find out soon enough." She nodded over at the door. "Here comes Lucas."

Her head immediately turned towards the door, which was being swung open by a cheerful looking Lucas. He walked over to her with a grin on his face, sending Deb a happy hello.

"You two have fun," Deb said before making her way over to a customer.

"What's got you in such a good mood?" Brooke asked curiously.

"It's just a good day," he said with a shrug. His eyes looked her up and down. "As usual, you're looking beautiful."

"Thanks," she replied with a smile. By now she was getting used to his constant compliments and no longer felt the awkwardness of his flattery.

"Ready?"

She slipped her arm through his and smiled. "Yup, let's go."

**888**

He took her to a large café across town, claiming that, even though this restaurant and his mother's were similar in most ways, he wanted to take her to place where they didn't know anyone and could eat without interruption. Furthermore, he didn't exactly want to take her on a date to the place where she worked. It really wasn't very romantic, is what he told her.

Throughout the whole lunch, she couldn't help but think back to her conversation with Deb earlier. Technically, this was her and Lucas' second date, but were they actually _dating_? It seemed like it, but she definitely didn't think she had the right to call him her boyfriend. Right now, he seemed focused on learning more about her life and, except for his brief kiss on her cheek last night, he'd done nothing to make their relationship anymore than that of a friend.

He probably wanted to take it slowly, though. She was almost sure of that. And she was happy that he cared enough about her to make sure that nothing was rushed, but at the same time there was this small part of her—a part of her that, since Kate was born, rarely showed itself—that just wanted to grab him, kiss him senseless, and pull him into her bed and have her way with him. She hadn't been so physically attracted to a guy in a long time, which of course made it even harder to resist him. Then there was fact that she didn't even want to admit how long it has been since she last had sex.

But in the end she knew that Lucas was going about this the right way. They needed to take things slowly, especially with Kate involved. That didn't make it any easier, though.

"You seem distracted."

She was pulled out of her thoughts at the sound of his voice and turned her head to see him staring curiously at her. They had finished their lunch a little while ago and, after walking along the Riverwalk, were now sitting on one of the benches overlooking the water.

"Sorry, I was just thinking."

"About me, I hope."

She let out a snort. "Sure. So," she said, wanting to change the subject, "you know how you said that I really intrigued you? Well, you really intrigue me too, so I think it's time you went into more depth about your life."

"Brooke, I'm pretty sure that since my mom and Haley don't care at all about my privacy, they told you pretty much anything I could tell you."

"No," she answered with a grin, "like you said last night, they kept out the bad stuff. But I don't need to hear about the stuff you regret; that can stay in the past if you want. What I'm really curious about is something else that they never really mentioned."

His eyes narrowed. "And what would that be?"

"Neither Haley or your mother or anyone else I've talked to have mentioned anything at all about past girlfriends."

"Oh," he said, laughing lightly, "so you want to know about my love life?"

She nodded, smiling at him persuasively. "I think it's only fair. I mean, I told you about Chase, right?"

"Well, okay, but there's not much to tell you. I really haven't been a serious relationship before."

"Really?" she asked inquiringly. "So you've never been serious about a girl before?"

He paused for a second, lost in thought, before looking back at her with the broody eyes that she really hadn't ever seen on him yet. "Once upon a time I guess I was. It didn't end well, though…"

Now she was really curious. She leaned forward expectantly. "Do tell."

He looked down at his food for a moment. "Her name was Rachel Gatina," he finally said. "We dated during the last three months of my senior year and then most of the summer after it. She moved to Tree Hill at the beginning of the year and took over the cheerleading squad at our school. It was kind of weird because she really wasn't the type of girl I'd date, but we grew really close during the last half of the school year. I really cared about her and I thought she really cared about me—that is until I learned that she'd cheated on me with Nathan's uncle early in the summer and never bothered telling me. So I broke it off and she left Tree Hill shortly after."

"I'm sorry, Lucas," she said softly. She could empathize with him; she'd been cheated on in high school too and it hadn't been fun.

"It's okay. I've been over it for a long time. Rachel and I weren't really good together anyway. I don't even think I've seen her since she left town."

"It still must have been tough, though. Opening your heart up to someone isn't easy, especially when they end up treating it like dirt."

"You sound like you're talking from experience."

She just shrugged. "I dated this guy named Felix in high school and he cheated on me too many times to count before I finally figured out. I knew he was a jerk, but he was different around me. I thought that he might have actually cared about me, but it turned out he was only putting on the act to get me into bed." When she finished, Lucas was looking at her with raised eyebrows. "What?"

"It's just that, from what you've told me, you really used be attracted to jerks."

"Unfortunately," she said with a laugh. "But despite my charm, I'm pretty sure the good guys weren't really too into me. Then again, most of the guys at my high school were man whores, so I didn't really have much of a choice…"

"It's okay," he said, "I didn't have great judgment with girls back in the days. Luckily, my judgment has greatly improved with age."

He sent her a flirty smile as he said this and she fought the blush that crept up on her cheeks; maybe she _wasn't_ as immune to his charm as she thought.

"Lucas," she said suddenly, unable to resist from bring this up any longer, "can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"What are we doing?"

He looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"What exactly is going on between us?" she clarified.

His eyes narrowed. "You mean you want to know what my intentions are with you?" She nodded and he leaned back against the bench, his eyes bearing softly but seriously into hers. "I like you, Brooke, and to be honest, I haven't felt this way about someone for a long time and I don't know if you feel the same, but—."

"I do," she interrupted with a gentle smile.

He grinned back at her. "Then I think we should try to see where you and I can go, because, and I know this might seem kind of forward, but I really think we have something special."

"I think so too," she murmured. She felt his hand grasp loosely onto hers as he looked intensely down at her. For a few moments, they simply stared at each other, neither of them saying anything. It was strange, but it seemed as if words weren't necessary for them. All they had to do was look at each other and they could just instantly know that there was something there.

And then she couldn't take it anymore.

"I think you'd better kiss me," she said, her voice low and raspy.

A small grin flitted over his lips and without another word his lips were on hers. She can't remember a time when something felt so incredibly right. His lips moved soft and gentle against hers, while her hands found the way to the nape of his neck. One of his hands moved tentatively to her side and the other cupped her cheek. She was so tempted to deepen what was already a very long first kiss, but then she remembered that they were in the middle of a fairly crowded boardwalk and decided that they'd have time to continue this at another date, when they were very much alone.

So she regretfully pulled away. He wore a huge smile as he looked down at her and she smiled back at him as well. His hands moved down her back, resting on her waist.

"That was nice," he said.

She kinked an eyebrow. "That was _much_ more than nice."

He laughed. "Okay, it was amazing." Then he looked at her again, his blue eyes penetrating hers. "I want you to know that I really do care about you, Brooke," he said softly. "I'm so thankful that you're willing to let me into not just your life, but Kate's as well, and I promise that I'm not going to take this lightly."

"I know you won't and I'm not going to either."

He smiled as he bent down to kiss her again, this one much shorter, but just as great. There was a spark there when they kissed that she'd never felt with anyone else.

"Speaking of Kate," Lucas said as he leaned his forehead against hers, "don't you have to pick her and Jenny up from school?"

She pulled away from him in surprise and dug through her purse to find her cell phone, which told her that she was definitely running late.

"They get out in like ten minutes," she said, standing up in a hurry before smiling at him sheepishly. "Thanks for the reminder."

"Someone's gotta be the responsible one," he said with a smirk. Then he stood up and grabbed her hand. "Come on, I'll drive you there."

"Oh, they'll love that," she said with a laugh. "You do know what you're getting yourself into, don't you? They're gonna pounce on you the minute they see you."

"I don't mind," he said simply.

He was too good to be true, he really was, and for some strange reason, he actually wanted to be with her. And as they walked hand and hand back towards his car, she found herself thinking that she really was the luckiest girl in the world.

* * *

**A/N: **I know this chapter was pretty short, but it felt right to end it there. I hope you all enjoyed it.

As usual, thanks so much for reading and please remember to review!!!


	8. An Invitation Into Their Worlds

**An Invitation Into Their Worlds**

They had only been gone a week, but to Brooke it felt like Jake and Peyton were gone much longer. So much had happened since her best friend's wedding and it was hard to believe how far she and Lucas had come since then. Yet, even though they were moving quickly in their new relationship, it didn't feel rushed. The way she saw it, she'd spent twenty-four years without Lucas and in her life and now that he was in it, she never wanted him to leave. Still, she wasn't completely sure how she would explain all this to Peyton.

"B. Davis!" Peyton exclaimed, dropping her bags as she stood in the open doorway of her house.

"P. Jagielski!" Brooke ran over to her best friend, a huge smile on her face, and pulled her into a hug.

Behind them both stood Jake, who just shook his head in amusement and squeezed past the two of them.

Peyton and Jake had gotten home late, at a little after midnight, and so Jenny had long since gone to bed after being promised by Brooke that she'd get to see her mom and dad the moment she woke up. She had a feeling, however, that both Jenny and Kate would be up at some point during the middle of the night to welcome the newlyweds home.

"So." Brooke pulled away, looking Peyton up and down and hiding her jealousy at the tan that Peyton had gotten while in Mexico. "How was it?"

"Amazing."

They all walked into the living room and Peyton moved tiredly onto the couch. Brooke sat next to her, looking at her expectantly.

"Come on, I want some details!"

"I don't think you really want to hear most of the details," Jake answered with a laugh.

Peyton let out a silly giggle as she and Jake shared what Brooke classified as a very naughty look.

Brooke scrunched up her face. "Okay, okay, I get the point. Seriously, though, you've got to tell me how Cabo was."

"I'm gonna go bring the suitcases upstairs," Jake interrupted.

"It was really nice," Peyton said once they were alone. "The beaches were beautiful, although we didn't spend much time there…" She and Brooke both grinned at that. "And the hotel was absolutely amazing. I felt like the suite we stayed in was bigger than our house."

"Ugh, I'm jealous. I'd give anything to just pack my bags and head to Mexico for a week."

"You deserve a break, Brooke. Obviously, Cabo might not be the answer, but maybe you should take some time off and go away for the weekend with Kate."

"As great as that sounds, I'm not sure how possible that is right now."

"Brooke…" Peyton was sending her that look that clearly said that she didn't agree, but right now Brooke didn't want to argue about this. She still wasn't in a great financial place, meaning that she really couldn't afford to go away for even a weekend, no matter the place.

"Not now," Brooke said forcefully.

Peyton backed down with a sigh. "Fine. So, how was your time while we were gone? Was Jenny much trouble?"

"No, she was great as usual. Kate was a little crazy, but that's normal…"

She trailed off slightly, thinking of Lucas. She wasn't exactly sure how to tell Peyton about what had happened between the two them while they were gone. Now that she thought about it, it really was a bit crazy that, in the course of a little over a week, Brooke and Lucas had gone from complete strangers to a couple.

Peyton was looking at her oddly and Brooke realized that she had unexpectedly fallen silent, an automatic smile forming on her lips at the thought of Lucas.

"What's with the dreamy look on your face?"

"Um…" She still didn't know how to do this. "You remember Lucas right?"

Peyton cocked her head. "Yes…"

"Well, he and I are sort of…together."

"Together?" Peyton's eyes widened in surprise. "But how? I've only been gone a week."

"I know. It all happened really quickly, but, Peyton, he's amazing and so great with Kate and we've only gone out a couple of times, but we're going out again tomorrow, or I guess I should say today, and I just really feel like—."

"Whoa, whoa," Peyton interrupted her rambling with a laugh. "Brooke, you don't need to explain yourself to me. I told you before the wedding that I thought you two should go for it and you obviously took my advice, so good for you."

"You don't think we're moving too fast?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. Everyone is different when it comes to relationships. Some people need to take it really slow and sort out their feelings, while others just click right away and don't really need the extra time to figure out if they want to be with each other."

"I really do like him," Brooke murmured as she leaned tiredly back onto the couch. "I've never felt this way about a guy before."

"Then don't worry about moving too fast. This thing you've got going on with him is obviously something special. And like I said, some people just click right away; you and Lucas are obviously those people."

Brooke smiled, encouraged by Peyton's words. "Yeah..."

"So," Peyton said, grinning at her, "tell me exactly what has happened between you two so far."

"You sure? It's kind of late."

"I've missed _way_ too much while I've been gone, Brooke. Now come on, I want to know everything."

**888**

It wasn't until he had officially signed the papers and handed over the check that Lucas realized just how huge a decision he'd just made.

Throughout his past week in Tree Hill, he'd been living with his mother and Lily. Of course his mom loved having him home and taking care of him the way moms do, but he knew that he couldn't stay with her for too long. Living with her seemed to be a sign that he was back only temporarily. After all, if he didn't bother looking for his own place, how serious could he be about staying? But he knew by now that he was home for good, which also meant that he really needed to start looking for a place he could call his own and prove to everyone else how serious he was.

Yesterday, he'd spent much of his day apartment hunting. He'd seen many he liked, but none seemed to perfectly fit him. It was a chance encounter that led him to a house that he'd immediately known was the place he wanted to live. It wasn't an apartment and it definitely wasn't small, but somehow it was perfect. He'd put an offer on it that very day.

And now, as he walked out of the real estate office, the house was officially his. It was a strange feeling and he wasn't sure how everyone else would react to his sudden splurge, but the important thing was that he felt at peace with his decision.

The house really was amazing, though. It was big, much bigger than he needed, with four bedrooms and a big pool in the backyard, but it was in a nice neighborhood and only a few minutes from both his mom's house and Jake and Peyton's. The first thing he thought when he stepped inside was that it was a house for a family, not a single guy like him, but somehow he knew that, just like his decision to stay in Tree Hill, this house was also going to be permanent. And in the back of his mind, he hoped to raise his own family here someday.

Looking down at his cell phone, he smiled as he realized that it was almost five. Tonight, he would be hanging out with both Brooke and Kate. Lucas had learned when he and Brooke picked up Kate after their lunch date that Kate wasn't too happy about being left out of his and Brooke's little dates and so he'd promised to take them both out next time.

Jake greeted him at the door when he arrived to pick Brooke and Kate up.

"Hey, Jake," Lucas said, grinning, "how was the honeymoon?"

"Great."

Before Lucas could say anything else, Jake had slipped through the door and onto the porch, closing the door behind him.

"So, you and Brooke, huh?" Jake was looking at him with raised eyebrows and Lucas wondered if he was going to be in for an interrogation similar to the one Nathan gave him at the River Court.

"Yup… me and Brooke."

Jake was now smirking at him. "And to think you got all flustered with me last week when I pointed out the obvious attraction between you two."

"Yeah, sorry about that. I guess you were right."

"I always am."

Lucas grinned. "You know, you're starting to sound as cocky as Nathan."

They were interrupted as Peyton poked her head out the door. "What are you guys doing?" she asked curiously.

"Well," Jake said as he roughly put a hand on Lucas' shoulder, "I was just about to tell Lucas that I'm gonna be forced to kick his ass if he ever hurts Brooke or Kate."

Lucas just laughed, but was silenced by Jake's grip on his shoulder tightening considerably. Jake's eyes narrowed as he looked at Lucas.

"Jake, don't threaten the poor guy," Peyton said, holding back a laugh.

But Lucas looked at him seriously. "You won't have to worry about that, Jake."

"Good," Jake said, letting go of Lucas and smiling over at Peyton. "Then come on in. Your girls are waiting."

**888**

He hadn't been exactly sure where he wanted to bring Kate and Brooke, but decided in the end to take them to one of the places that meant the most to him—the Rivercourt. He couldn't even count the amount of hours he spent on this court during his teenage years. Up until the middle of his junior year, he'd spend every night playing basketball with Skills, Junk, and Fergie, while Mouth commentated on the sidelines. Even after he'd joined the basketball team at school and he wasn't able to spend as much time there, he still was there ever weekend, playing with his buddies like old times.

And now, six years after he'd graduated, this place still meant the world to him.

"I came here with Uncle Jake and Nathan and Jamie once," Kate announced as they drove up to the familiar court.

Lucas smiled, shutting off the engine and turning to look back at the excited five-year old. "It's my favorite place in the world."

"In the _whole _world?" Kate asked.

He nodded. "I've been to a lot of places, but none can beat this."

Lucas and Brooke watched in amusement as Kate jumped out of the car and ran onto the court before they could so much as unbuckle his seatbelt.

Brooke laughed lightly as she turned to look at him. "This might surprise you, but she really hasn't had any sugar today."

"So she's just naturally this hyper?"

"Yup." She grinned as she patted his leg. "You'll get used to it."

His eyes trailed back over to Kate, who waited impatiently for them to meet her. "Come on, people!"

He chuckled softly as he reached over to the backseat and pulled out his basketball. Brooke eyed it apprehensively.

"You're not expecting me to play, are you? Because I will let you know right now that somehow that ball will end up in the river if I do."

"You're not a fan of basketball?" he asked curiously.

"No, I like _watching _basketball; I just couldn't play to save my life."

"Well, at least you like watching it. I was afraid I was going to have to dump you if you didn't."

"Funny," Brooke said with a roll of her eyes.

She and Lucas both stepped out of the car and, as they made their way onto the court, his hand reached for hers. She sent him a soft smile in response. He wanted so badly to pull her in for a kiss, but he was distracted as Kate ran up to them, pulling the basketball out of his hand.

"Let's play, Lucas," she said with a grin.

He grinned. If this kid liked basketball, then she was definitely even greater than he'd imagined.

**888**

Brooke had never really known how great Lucas was at basketball. She'd always heard Karen or Nathan go on and on about their high school days and how they'd won the state championship, but she'd never expected him to be this good. She was no basketball expert, but judging by the way he was playing on the court right now, he was good enough to be a pro like his brother. It made her wonder why he had decided to write instead of following in the footsteps of Nathan.

Kate watched in awe as Lucas made an effortless shot from the very far end of the court.

"You _are _better than Nathan," Kate muttered with wide eyes.

Lucas just chuckled. "Actually, Nathan is a pretty amazing basketball player. You've just caught me on a good day."

But Kate shook her head adamantly. "I think you're the best, Lucas."

"If you say so. Thanks, Kate."

Brooke watched in admiration as he proceeded to pick up her daughter and sit her on top of his shoulders.

"Here," Lucas said, lifting up the basketball for Kate to grab. "Now it's time for you to make a slam dunk."

Kate's face lit up in excitement as Lucas jogged up to the hoop, where she proceeded to dump the ball through the net. She let out a cry of victory, which really came out as more of a shriek, but Lucas just sent her a high five as he set her down again.

Brooke couldn't get over how amazing he was with Kate. His interactions with Kate were just so natural; there was no effort or thought in the way he spoke to the little girl. She could tell that he wasn't just becoming a new role model to Kate, but a friend as well.

And in that moment, she knew without a doubt that she could completely trust Lucas not only with herself, but with Kate..

**888**

After they finished up at the Rivercourt, Lucas took them, at Kate's request, to pizza. As they ate, there was a smile on Brooke's face that she was pretty sure had been permanently embedded onto her face while at the Rivercourt. It was a strange thing, being happy like this. She hadn't felt like this in a long time. Actually, she wasn't sure if she'd _ever _felt like this before.

When Kate wandered over to the small arcade, Lucas' hand crept across the table to rest on top of hers.

"Having fun?"

"Yes, I am."

"Good." His thumb stroked her knuckles. "So am I."

"I know I've told you this before, but you really are amazing with Kate."

"She's a good kid."

"She's already completely attached to you. I swear you're all she talks about these days."

He smiled down at their hands. "I'm just glad she likes me."

"Who wouldn't like you?" she said, winking at him.

"Really, though." His eyes met hers seriously. "I don't want her to feel like I'm stealing her mom from her."

"Believe me, she doesn't think that. Actually, she probably thinks _I'm _stealing you from _her._"

He chuckled softly and they fell into a comfortable silence. His hand still held onto hers as they both watched Kate play a racing game at the other end of the restaurant.

"So," she said, leaning forward slightly "let me ask you something."

"Shoot."

"You're an amazing basketball player, so why did you decide to write instead of go pro?"

He sighed and seemed as if his mind was drifting off into another world for a moment. She waited patiently for him to explain, sensing that for whatever reason he wasn't playing anymore, this was obviously a loaded question.

"I have HCM," he finally said.

Her eyebrows scrunched up in confusion. "HCM?"

"Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy," he answered slowly. "It's a genetic heart disease that I got from Dan. It basically means that I have an abnormal amount of thickening in the muscle of my heart, which can cause me to go into cardiac arrest if I'm not taking my medicine or if I work my body out too strenuously."

Her hand moved instinctively to her mouth in surprise. "You can have a heart attack, even if you're only in your twenties?"

He nodded slowly. "I actually had a heart attack back in my senior year."

Her eyes widened even more, if possible, and she felt her own heart go weak at this. "Oh my God…"

"But it was because I wasn't taking my medicine. It was the state championship game and I just wanted to play well and then after we won, Haley ended up getting hit by a car and I…well, it's a long story, but after I ran over to help her, I sort of just collapsed. I guess my body was under way too much stress."

She didn't even know what to say to this. It was so much to take in.

Her eyes met his. "Are you okay now?"

"I'm perfectly fine," he said reassuringly, his hand squeezing hers. "I always take my medicine and I get regular checkups to make sure everything's normal. I can still play basketball, but the medicine slows me down a lot, which is why I didn't play college ball."

"Are you sure?" she asked anxiously.

He smiled. "Yes. Honestly, I haven't had a problem with my heart since that night."

She still couldn't keep from worrying about him. He'd had a heart attack when he was eighteen years old and he could have one again. She knew that they were new parts of each other's lives, but she couldn't even bear to imagine life without him in it anymore. And yet, he could die, just like that. He could leave her without any warning. The thought terrified her.

"Brooke." He was looking at her gently, a calming smile on his lips. "Please, don't worry about me. I'm healthy, I promise."

She just nodded, but didn't think it was possible to not worry about him. In the little time they'd known each other, he'd come to mean a lot to her and she just couldn't lose him.

"So." He grinned at her from across the table. "I bought a house."

Her head flickered over to him in surprise and she was glad for the distraction. "Seriously?"

"Yeah, I found it yesterday and wrote the check to buy it today. I move in two weeks."

"Wow… where is it?"

"It's actually only about five minutes from Jake and Peyton's."

"And what's it like?"

"It's big," he said thoughtfully. "Two stories, four bedrooms, three bathrooms, room for an office. It's a little bit older, but has been completely remodeled. There's even a pool in the back."

"Kate will love that."

"I was thinking she would," he said, grinning at her.

"Well, that's great, Lucas. You'll have to give Kate and I a tour soon."

"I definitely will."

"So, does this mean you won't be leaving again to travel the world?"

"Yes," he said, a gentle smile on his lips. "I'm home for good."

**888**

A little while later, Lucas was once again standing on Peyton and Jake's front porch. And once again, he was wishing that the night wasn't over. His time with Brooke and Kate had been much too short and he knew that they would have to do this again soon. Brooke stood opposite from him, holding Kate's hand. He bent down and hugged Kate.

"Goodnight, kiddo."

Kate stifled a yawn. "Night, Luke."

"Tired?" Brooke asked and Kate just nodded. "Why don't you go inside and get ready for bed?"

"'Kay, but are you gonna come over again tomorrow, Lucas?"

"Definitely."

"Good, cause I like hanging out with you."

He smiled. "I like hanging out with you too, Kate."

Brooke opened the door and Kate waved goodbye again before slipping inside. Lucas reached for Brooke's hand and he shut the door, preventing her from following.

"I don't think I got to give you a proper goodbye."

A small smile flitted over her lips. "I don't think so either."

His arms moved to her waist and he bent his neck down, kissing her softly. His lips lingered there for a few moments before pulling away. Her eyes were looking away from him and he could tell she was distracted.

"You still worrying about me?" One of his hands moved to the back of her head and he strung his fingers through her hair.

"I can't help it," she said with a sigh. "I'm a mom; it's my job to worry."

He grinned. "But you're not _my_ mom."

"No, but I'm your girlfriend, aren't I?"

His eyes softened as he stared down at her. "Yeah, you are."

"Then I'm allowed to worry."

Knowing that he couldn't argue, he just slowly nodded. "I guess you are. But you should know that worrying yourself over me will only stress you out. My mom and Haley learned that after awhile and basically came to terms that worrying wasn't going to do anything about my HCM, so they might as well just let me be and relax."

"Well, I'm sure I'll realize that soon enough, but for now I'm allowed to worry. It's just a lot to take in."

"I'm sorry I just dropped that on you. I figured you'd need to know eventually and since you asked, I thought now would be the time."

"I'm glad you trust me enough to tell me. I wouldn't have wanted to be kept in the dark about something like this."

"I do trust you, Brooke," he murmured.

"I trust you too," she said softly.

He nodded again and then smiled. "Good. So, I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yes, you will."

He brushed his lips softly against hers once more. "Goodnight, Brooke."

"Night."

As he walked back to his car, he just hoped she wouldn't worry too much more about him. It meant a lot that she cared enough about him to show such obvious signs of anxiety for him, but he didn't want it stressing her out. That never did anyone any good.

But he knew that he and Brooke had made a lot of progress tonight. Not only had she made it clear that she really did trust him with both herself and Kate, but he'd also proven that he trusted her enough to tell her about his HCM, one of the things he never told any of his previous girlfriends about. He hadn't even told Rachel about it until everyone else found out and even then, he wasn't sure he was comfortable with her knowing. That's how he really knew that things with Brooke were different than any other girl he'd dated. Trust came easy with her and he was glad she thought the same of him. Because to him, trusting someone like this was basically him inviting her into his world.

* * *

**A/N: **I finished this much earlier than I expected to. It'll still be a little while before the bigger drama comes, but in mean time I hope you all enjoy the Brucas fluff. In times like these, I think we all need it.

I posted a new one-shot the other day called _Close Your Eyes_. Check it out if you haven't already!

**Lena: **I'm glad you're happy that Brucas didn't wait too long to get together. Honestly, their relationship is moving a little faster than I intended, but this whole story has been writing itself so it's been sort of impossible for me to make them go any slower. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and thanks so much for reviewing!


	9. Anything But Meaningless

**Anything But Meaningless**

Brooke was tired the next morning. In between a long chat with Peyton after her and Kate's date with Lucas and a majority of her night spent worrying about Lucas' heart condition, she hadn't gotten a lot of sleep. Added to that, she'd had to get up early to get both Kate and Jenny get ready for school, something that always proved to be stressful, before heading to work a busy morning shift at the café.

Needless to say, she was very relieved to see Lucas' handsome face appear outside at a little after two. Immediately the stress that had taken over her body seemed to calm and she was left smiling happily as he entered the restaurant and made his way over to her.

He gently brushed his lips against her cheek in greeting. "Hi, Pretty Girl."

"Pretty Girl?" she asked with raised eyebrows.

He sat down at the counter, grinning at her. "What, you don't like it? I thought it was an appropriate nickname for you, considering you are a _very_ pretty girl."

"No, I do like it. It's very cute."

"I think so too."

She pulled out a mug from underneath the counter and walked over to coffee pot, pouring him a cup. Setting it in front of him, she grinned.

"Here you go, boyfriend."

This time, he was the curious one. "Boyfriend?"

"You picked out a nickname for me, so I get to pick one out for you. I know that boyfriend isn't really very original, but be happy that you're the only guy who's ever gotten to officially be called that by me."

"I'm not complaining. I like the sound of it, actually."

She smiled as she rested her elbows on the counter and let her face fall into her hands. "So do I."

He bent forward slightly and kissed her softly. She was thankful that that the afternoon rush had ended and the café was virtually empty or else she'd be forced to break the kiss a lot sooner than she wanted to. Lucas was smiling at her when she finally did.

"Do you realize that this is the place we first met?" Lucas asked. "Feels like just yesterday…"

A snort sounded from her as she moved away to grab a towel and wipe the counter. "It might as well have been. How long have we known each other? Like two weeks?"

"Well, yes, but really, it feels like much longer."

"And yet you're sitting here claiming that it feels like we met just yesterday."

He sent her an exasperated stare. "You know what I mean."

"Not really." She smiled at him playfully. "I thought authors were supposed to have a way with words, but, Luke, you're just confusing me."

He shook his head, chuckling softly. "Pretty Girl, you're killing me."

She laughed as she leaned over the counter to place another kiss on his cheek. "I guess I know what you mean."

He smiled and took a sip of his coffee. "So, is my mom around?"

"What, you didn't come here to see me?" A mock pout formed on her lips. "I'm offended."

"You know I'm here to see you too, but I haven't had a chance to tell my mom about the house yet, so I was hoping to tell her now. I can't put it off much longer now that almost everyone else knows. She won't be too happy if she's figured at that she's basically the last to know."

"The last to know what?"

Karen had appeared behind Brooke, a curious smile on her lips as she wiped her hands with a rag.

"You really do have great timing," Lucas said with a sardonic grin.

"So," Karen continued expectantly, "what exactly am I the last to know of?"

"We're engaged!" Brooke announced loudly.

Lucas froze in confusion, while Karen's eyes seemed to bulge out of her sockets

"What?!"

But Brooke just let out a cackle of laughter. "No, I'm totally kidding."

Both Karen and Lucas were completely silent for a few moments before a huge sigh of relief escaped Karen's lips. "Oh, thank God. Not that you two getting married would be a horrible thing, but you've only known each other for a short while and I just think it would be too soon—."

"Relax, Mom," Lucas said, now laughing slightly, although Brooke had calmed down. "We're not going to be getting married any time soon."

Karen just nodded slowly, gaining back her composer, before glaring playfully at Brooke. "You and your crazy jokes. Honestly, Brooke, sometimes I just can't ever know when you're actually serious."

"Oh come on, Karen, you're exaggerating. It just seemed like the perfect opportunity, that's all. Besides, we all need a little laughter in our lives."

Finally, a small smile appeared on Karen's face and she chuckled softly. "You win, Brooke, as always. I can never argue with you anyway. So..." She turned back to Lucas. "Is anybody ever going to tell me what's actually going on?"

"Yes, Mom. As I was saying before Brooke so rudely interrupted me—." Brooke swatted his arm at this. "I was about to tell you that I bought a house."

"Really?" Karen's eyes shone with happiness as he nodded and Brooke smiled as his mother proceeded to make her way around the counter, pulling her son into a tight hug. "Oh, Lucas, this is great! Does this mean that you're here to stay?"

"Yes," he replied as she finally let him go, "I'm not going anywhere, Mom."

Then Karen burst into a long series of questions. "When did this happen? How much did it cost? Is it close to us? When are you moving in? And was I really the last to know because as your mo—."

Brooke held back her laughter as Lucas held up his hand to stop his mother's ceaseless babbling. "Mom, please. One question at a time."

With a frown, Karen finally paused. At this same moment, a small group of people entered the café and Lucas turned to look at them for a second before turning back to his mom. "Looks like you've got some customers. How about I take you and Lily to the house later tonight after you get off of work and I'll answer everything you want to know."

Karen didn't appear happy at this, but, after glancing at the customers again, she nodded. "Fine, but you're not getting out of this, Lucas. The moment I get off work, I want answers." She turned to look at Brooke and her expression was suddenly soft again. "I think I can handle this, Brooke. Why don't you take off early and spend some time with my boy?"

Surprised, Brooke smiled. "Really?"

"Sure. Deb's coming in an hour and I can handle this group. Maybe Lucas should take you to his new house and give you a sneak peak."

"Actually," Lucas said, "I was planning on seeing if you wanted to do just that."

Brooke nodded eagerly. "You know I would."

A few minutes later, Lucas led Brooke outside. Just as they reached his car, he spun around and sent her a wary smile.

"_Engaged_, Brooke?"

She couldn't help but laugh again. She wasn't sure what had came over her, but she just couldn't have passed that moment up. "Sorry, honey, but like I said, it was the perfect opportunity."

"_Honey_? So now we're using cute little pet names too?"

She sent him a flirty smile before opening the passenger door and hopping in. "Of course, sweetie. That's what boyfriends and girlfriends do. We come up with nauseating couple names for each other."

He laughed lightly as he got into the drivers' seat. "Well okay then, _baby_, let's get going."

**888**

Brooke was impressed by the house, he could easily tell, and she did little to hide it. But it made Lucas happy that she liked it so much because there was a huge part of him that hoped that someday she would live here with him too. He still didn't like admitting that fact to himself, mostly because it seemed strange to him to admit that after so little time, but deep down he knew that the main reason he bought this house was for his future family. He just hoped that future family included Brooke and Kate.

"And this is the backyard."

They stepped out onto the large wooden deck that sat over a decent sized fenced yard. A clear swimming pool sat in the middle of the freshly cut grass and a hot tub rested on the side of the deck. Besides the small study that sat across the master bedroom, the backyard had to be his favorite part of the house.

She just stood there, mouth gaping. "Wow."

"Cool, huh?"

"Very." She turned to look at him, shaking her head incredulously. "Lucas, this place is amazing. It must have cost a fortune, though."

"It did," he answered with a shrug, "but let's just say it's the payoff of two best-selling books and hopefully many more to come. I think it was about time I rewarded myself with a special little treat."

"I wouldn't call it a _little _treat," she said, smirking at him. "Seriously, though, this place is huge."

"It's probably much bigger than I need, but I'll fill the place up eventually."

A small smile flitted over her lips as her eyes met his and he wondered if she understood the implication of his words. But then she turned away and walked down the stairs of the deck and down to the pool. He smiled as he watched her explore the yard, now more than ever yearning to just invite her to live with him or, even crazier, to give her the house until she's ready for him to live with her too. But he couldn't. She wouldn't accept either offer and for good reason; they'd been together for such a short time. He couldn't risk coming off to strong and he also couldn't risk moving too fast.

He was distracted from his thoughts as Brooke had suddenly appeared by his side again. She strode over to the hot tub, pulling open the cover and turning on the jets.

He looked at her curiously. "What are you doing?"

Nothing could prepare him for what happened next. Her fingers moved down to the hem of her black halter top and, very slowly, she lifted it up and over her head. His throat tightened as she threw the shirt to the ground, leaving her in only a bra and a tight pair of jeans. His eyes widened and he was unable to keep from running his eyes up and down her body, inevitably landing on her almost complete exposed breasts.

"Care to join me?" Her hand swept down to the hot tub and she grinned seductively at him.

"We don't have bathing suits," he murmured. His eyes immediately moved back to her face, although it was a struggle not to look back down. But he wanted her to know he respected her and so he kept his resolve.

"We don't need bathing suits." She laughed and tugged at his hands, but he shook his head, his eyes narrowed. _Slow_, he kept repeating to himself, _we need to keep things slow_. But it was proving to be so much harder than he thought.

Her hands moved to his waist, her fingers edging up slowly as she pulled at the bottom of his shirt.

"Come on, broody boy." She pulled back from him, putting her hands on her hips. He could tell she was frustrated. "You can look at me, you know."

"I know," he said, smiling softly and instead of looking to where she wanted him to, he looked right into her eyes, "but I don't think we should do anything we'll regret just now."

"There would be nothing to regret. All I'm asking is for you to join me for some innocent fun in the hot tub."

He cocked an eyebrow. "Innocent?"

"Okay, it wouldn't be completely innocent, but come on, Luke, you've got to live a little."

He sighed heavily and she moved back over to him. Her hand moved underneath his shirt and along his backside as she stretched her head up, placing slow kisses along his neck. A moan escaped his lips and, against his will, his hands found their way to the bare skin of her back. He'd never touched her like this before and it was killing him. He wanted so badly to rip off her jeans and explore even more of her body and with each second it became more of a struggle for him not to.

Her lips still dusted his neck and the side of his face with soft, enticing kisses. He moaned again as his fingers toyed with clasp of her bra and he finally allowed her to slowly unbutton his shirt, before sliding it off his body.

"So." Her husky voice poured into his ear and he visibly shuddered. "Are you gonna join me or not?"

He looked down at her and she was grinning up at him so seductively that there was no way he could resist. Instead he just slowly nodded and her grin grew even wider as she unclasped his belt, pulling his pants down and leaving him only in his boxers. Her jeans fell to a heap on the ground and now it was simply impossible for him to keep his eyes from roaming her body. He didn't feel as bad about it anymore, though, considering her own eyes couldn't seem to get enough of him.

And, just as she began leading him over to the hot tub, the moment was lost. Brooke's cell phone rang loudly from the ground where her purse laid. They both let out very audible groans of frustration, but she still reached down to pick it up.

Her eyes widened as she realized who was calling and he knew that their hot tub adventure wouldn't be happening today.

"Peyton!" Brooke cried as she answered the phone. "I know, I kind of forgot, but I'm on my way…Yeah, I know. I'm sorry, I just totally spaced out…No, I'm with Lucas….Ha, shut up. Okay, I'm leaving, bye."

Immediately after she hung up, Brooke scooped up her clothes and threw her shirt back on. She sent him an apologetic smile.

"I totally forgot that I'm supposed to pick up Kate and Jenny from school today since both Jake and Peyton have to work. They get out in like five minutes."

He glanced over at her as he pulled his pants back on. "It's okay."

"We'll just have to pick up where we started when you actually move in," Brooke said, winking at him suggestively. She walked back over to him, helping him button up his shirt. He smiled gratefully down at her and she kissed him softly before taking his hand in hers and leading him back through the house and out to his car.

As he drove, they sat in silence, Brooke's hands resting in his. There was awkwardness in the air and he could tell it was because of him, but he couldn't help but worry over what had just happened. It was a good thing Peyton had called them because if he'd let them continue, they wouldn't have been able to stop. It wasn't like he didn't want to be with Brooke in that way, but he didn't want to start their relationship with sex. Because really, they were just starting off. He wanted this relationship to be different than any other they'd had before and to him, that meant taking things slowly. Someday they would take that big step, but he wanted it to be at the right moment, when they were both ready and, most importantly, when they were both in love. Although part of him was wondering if they were already at that point…

"You okay?"

He glanced at her quickly. "Yeah, why?"

"You're brooding."

"Am not."

"Yes, you are. Don't deny it, Broody."

"Just because I'm not cheerful like you doesn't mean I'm brooding."

She just rolled her eyes. "Lucas Scott, you're worrying over something and I want you to tell me what it is."

"I'm fine," he persisted and was thankful when he pulled up to the school and saw Kate and Jenny waiting patiently on the sidewalk. Both of their faces lit up at the sight of him.

But before he could get out and greet them, Brooke's hand tightened around him. "You know you can tell me anything, right?"

He relaxed slightly at her words and his fingers moved to caress her cheek. "I know. Honestly, though, I'm fine."

She just nodded, smiling gently at him. "Okay."

**888**

It had started off with a simple kiss as he dropped her off from their date, but had escalated into something so much more. She wasn't even sure how they had gotten to this point, but somehow she was pulling him into the backseat of his SUV, tearing at his clothes shamelessly. He fell on top of her, his lips never once leaving hers, and fumbled with the clasp of her bra.

"Lucas," she moaned. Her hips grinded against his and she eagerly pressed her naked torso against his.

And then, so quickly that she almost didn't know it was happening, his body pulled away from her. He looked away, his head hung in obvious shame.

"Luke." She reached to touch him again, but he was pulling his clothes back.

"We shouldn't," he murmured.

Her eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"We just shouldn't."

He was confusing her. As a matter of fact, ever since yesterday afternoon when he'd shown her his new house and they'd ended up stripping down on his back deck, he'd been acting strange. And she just couldn't understand why because he wasn't telling her anything.

"I need to know _why_, though," she said, trying to hide her frustration.

"Because…" He sighed heavily and continued looking away from her. It was then that she realized that, except for her underwear, she was completely naked. She hastily reached for her bra, which was hanging on the head rest of the front seat, and quickly clasped it back on. She looked quickly around for her dress and, without a word, Lucas pulled it out from behind him and handed it to her.

"Thanks," she mumbled as she slipped it back on. Finished, she settled back against the seat and crossed her arms. "Lucas, what is going on with you?"

"I just…" He leaned against the window, letting his legs stretch along the back seat, his feet resting on her lap. For a few moments, everything remained painfully silent and then he finally spoke. "I think we should wait." His voice was firm with conviction and she could tell that he was serious about this.

"Okay," she said, nodding slowly, "we can do that. Why didn't you just tell me, though? I would have never teased you like this if I'd known."

"I don't know…I was going to talk to you about it yesterday, but then we picked up the kids and to be honest, I really didn't think it was going to come up again so soon. It's just so hard for me to resist you." She smiled gently, putting a hand on his thigh, and he continued. "It's just…all of my past relationships in one way or another have been built around sex. With Rachel, with Lindsay, with every girl I've ever dated. But I don't want it to be that way with us, Brooke. I want to take our time and take things slowly. I want things with you to be different because _you're_ different than any girl I've dated. You're special to me, Brooke, and I want our first time together to be special too. But I think we both can agree that special isn't in a hot tub or the backseat of my car."

"You're probably right," she said, chuckling softly, "although I really think that it'll be special no matter where it happens, just because it's me and you."

"I know it will be." He smiled and adjusted himself so that he was sitting right next to her. His arm wrapped around her shoulders. "I guess it's more about timing than the place. I mean, do you really want to do it right in front of Jake and Peyton's house, where your daughter is currently sleeping right behind that very window. For all we know, she could be watching us."

She snorted. "That'd be great."

He laughed and she was happy to see that he was genuinely relaxed again. "Poor kid wouldn't know what hit her."

They both chuckled softly. "You're special to me too, Luke," she said after a few seconds of quiet. He looked down at her with gentle eyes. "I think you and me are more alike than we even knew because all of my past relationships revolved around sex too. I think that it's only right that you and I take different route than we did in those meaningless relationships, because you and I are anything but meaningless."

He kissed the top of her head. "I know this might sound a little crazy, but you already mean so much to me, Brooke— both you and Kate. And I just want to do everything right with you, even if that means we've got to wait a little while to take the next big step."

"I know," she murmured, "and I think this is the right way to do things. It shows me how much you respect me. And that means so much to me, Lucas, because there haven't been a lot of guys who respected me before."

"A man should always respect a woman," he said firmly and then he smiled again, running a hand through her hair. She leaned her head against his shoulder and they fell into another silence, this one completely comfortable.

Tonight definitely had been interesting, but she was proud that he'd opened up to her about this. It was amazing that they were making so much progress with every second they spent with each other. It proved to her that this relationship truly was different from all others she'd experienced.

His fingers trailed up and down her arm and she looked up at him, a content smile on her lips. They'd only been together for a few weeks, but in this moment, she knew that she wanted to spend forever with this man. It might be awhile before she actually voiced this, but she knew she would eventually. For now, though, they would take things as slowly as they could.

* * *

**A/N: **Wow, this chapter was really crazy for me. It went in a completely different direction than I intended, but overall, it's my favorite chapter so far. I hope you all enjoyed it too, considering it was just full of fluffy Brucas. Be sure to let me know what you all thought about it!

Thanks so much to each and every person for reading! And to those who have been reviewing—you're all amazing! Seriously, it means so much. I've been super busy with school and haven't been able to respond to each one individually, but know that I've read them all and appreciate every single one!


	10. To Love Somebody

**To Love Somebody**

Time had flown by and now Lucas was moving into his new home. He'd never actually owned a house before—he'd traveled too much to find a permanent place of his own—and so this was an interesting experience.

Thankfully, his family and friends had volunteered to help him move, although now, as they started loading the house with furniture, he was wondering if he even needed all the help he was getting since he had such few stuff to move in. He'd bought the essentials – a couple of couches, a small kitchen table and a few chairs to go along with it, a spare bed for the one of the three guestrooms, and a new king sized bed for himself (this was at Brooke's insistence, but he definitely wasn't complaining) —but there was no way that he'd be able to designate each room some furniture. In fact, he was willing to bet that a majority of the rooms would remain empty for the time being simply because this house was way too big for a single person to fill it up.

But he didn't regret getting a house too big for him, especially when he saw the way Kate reacted to it. She'd been absolutely in awe when she first saw it and, just like Brooke had said she would, she immediately fell in love with the pool. Now, as Kate whipped past him and chased after Jamie, she seemed already at home in this new place and he was glad because that was exactly what he wanted—for her to feel at home here.

"Hey, Luke!"

He smiled at the little girl as she stopped mid-stride in front of him. Jamie stood with her, catching his breath from their game of tag. "Can I come over and swim soon?"

"You can come over whenever you want."

"Me too, Uncle Luke?" Jamie looked up at him with hopeful eyes.

"Of course you can, Jimmy-Jam," Lucas replied, ruffling his nephew's hair.

"But you have a pool at your house," Kate said in disapproval.

Jamie shrugged. "So? His pool is bigger."

Kate's eyes narrowed and Lucas held back a laugh as she put a hand on Jamie's shoulder. "You're it."

"But—!"

"No buts." At this, he audibly laughed; it was crazy just how much like Brooke she really was. "We never called a time-out." And then she bolted away from them, running from the living room, into the kitchen, and then out onto the deck.

Jamie let out a sigh of resignation, shaking his head as he looked up at his uncle. "Girls are crazy." And then he ran off after her.

He chuckled softly as he moved his attention to his living room. The two brand new couches were in place, as was the new big screen TV he'd bought at Nathan's persistence. A small coffee table sat next to the longer couch and a couple of small boxes were scattered on the hard-wood floor, but other than those few items, there really wasn't much else he needed to unpack here. It was like this in most rooms—a few new pieces of furniture and, if he was lucky, a couple of boxes packed with random items that he probably didn't even need.

Looking out the front window, he saw Nathan and Jake digging through the moving truck. It was practically empty, signaling that the moving was almost done. All the heavy stuff had been brought in and now only a few miscellaneous items remained.

Lucas took a seat on the couch, sighing in relief. It had been a long, tiring day, and he was ready for a break. He heard Peyton's voice drift into the living room through the kitchen and smiled automatically at the sound of Brooke laughing at something her best friend had said.

In the month since they'd been dating, they'd grown even closer. They'd gone on many more dates and had progressed to the point that they seemed to know just about everything about each other. They were honest with each other and that was one of the best aspects of their relationship. By now, he knew that this was it; he and Brooke were in it for the long haul. She and her wild little daughter had changed his life in so many ways, but he couldn't imagine it without them in it anymore.

He felt a sink in the couch and turned to look at the person who'd just sat next to him.

"Hey, Hales," he said, smiling softly at her.

She patted his shoulder. "Long day, huh?"

"Yeah…I'm really not too fond of moving."

"No one is." Her eyes danced around the room, taking it in, and then she looked back at him. "This place is seriously huge, Luke. Like _way_ too big for just one guy."

"Yeah, I know, but I think I'm going to be living here for a long time, Haley. Maybe even for the rest of my life."

She didn't exactly look surprised at this. "Somehow I knew that this wasn't just some temporary place for you to have for whenever you stop by Tree Hill. You want to raise a family here."

Haley really did know him well. He heard Peyton and Brooke move from the kitchen and onto the deck, shutting the sliding door behind them, and he was happy that he and Haley were alone because somehow he knew that this conversation might be more on the serious side and he wasn't sure he wanted Brooke overhearing anything.

"That's what I'm planning on."

"And you want Brooke and Kate to be a part of that family." It wasn't a question, it was a statement, and there was no point for him to deny it because she was right; he wanted Brooke and Kate to live here with him someday. He'd admitted that to himself when he first bought the house, but didn't let anyone else know this. He assumed that sooner or later, someone—most likely his mom or Haley—would bring it up.

"I hope so," he answered slowly.

Haley's lips twitched into a gentle smile. "I hope so too. You two are already so great together. I don't think I've ever seen you happier than you are when you're with her."

"She just…she's amazing…" He trailed off, trying to find some way to describe how truly wonderful Brooke was, but always coming up short because there really were no words that could describe this. Then he turned to Haley, his eyes serious. He was about to tell her something that he'd been having trouble admitting to himself these past few weeks, not because he didn't want to, but because he was worried that it was too soon.

"Haley, I think I'm in love with her."

Once again, she didn't look surprised. Instead she sent him a soft, encouraging smile. "You sound like that's a bad thing."

"Do you think it's even possible to feel this way after only being with her for a month? I mean, I've never been in love before, Hales. I don't know how it feels and I don't if what I'm feeling is love, but I do know that I care so much about her. I love being around her and when I'm not I'm always wishing that I was with her… I'd do anything for her." He looked helplessly at Haley, hoping that she could give him some sort of advice on what he was feeling. "Do you think I'm crazy?"

"No," Haley said, now looking slightly amused. "I think you're in love. And to answer your first question, yes, it's definitely possible to fall in love with someone after only a short amount of time. I think Nathan and I are good examples of that. You don't need to know someone for years or even months in order to fall in love with them. Sometimes love just happens and it happens so quickly that you don't have to time to even realize it's there. But once you do, it's an irreplaceable feeling."

He nodded slowly as he took in her words. He hoped she was right because there really was no other way to explain how he felt about Brooke.

When he was younger, he always wondered what it would be like to be in love. He'd look at his mom and Keith— two people who in his mind were destined for each other even if it took awhile— and later Haley and Nathan and that's what he wanted. He wanted to have a bond that he shared with only one other person. He wanted a sense of both safety and the exhilaration of being with a person that is only his. And he wanted to know what it was like to find someone that you'd do anything for—that completed you.

Now it looked like he'd found that person and, even though many men his age might be scared of the idea of committing themselves to just one person for the rest of their lives, this thought merely excited him because he'd been waiting so long to find it. The funny thing was that he hadn't even really known he wanted it so badly.

"Okay, I'm officially done with any sort of unpacking for the rest of the day."

He'd been so lost in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed Brooke appear through the kitchen. He sent her a soft smile as she squeezed herself between him and Haley. Her side pressed up against him, her hand tickling the back of his neck

"Hi, Pretty Girl," he murmured.

She kissed him, sending him a playful wink, and then ran her hand up and down his back soothingly.

"How's everything going in the kitchen?" Haley asked her.

"Oh, you know, it's…going."

Haley just laughed. "You haven't unpacked a single thing, have you?"

"Peyton kept on distracting me," Brooke defended with a grin.

Peyton's voice interrupted them from the kitchen. "Hey, don't blame me!"

"Fine, the kids were distracting me. Peyton and I had to make sure they didn't fall into the pool or something."

"And you can't see them from the kitchen?" Haley questioned.

"Well…come on, Haley, we've been stuck in here all day. We needed a break. Besides, I don't see you two doing any work in here."

Haley simply shrugged. "True, but at least we got some stuff unpacked."

"Yeah, but…"

Lucas watched their banter in amusement. Brooke's fingers trailed his back soothingly and he relaxed, a long sigh escaping his lips. This was nice, just being around the people he loved. He hadn't gotten to do that while he traveled and now he wondered how he could have possibly stayed away for so long.

**888**

It was getting late and Brooke was glad that everything finally seemed to be relatively settled. The others had left Lucas' house a few hours ago, but she'd stayed behind with Kate. Much to her surprise, her daughter had fallen asleep on the couch almost immediately after everyone had left, but she wasn't complaining; it gave her more alone time with Lucas.

She sat on a stool across from Lucas, who stood on the other side of the kitchen counter. He looked tired, but happy, and she knew it was probably because having his own home was a big accomplishment for him.

Lucas was looking down at the pizza box that sat between them, eying the last piece of pizza hungrily. She just smiled.

"You can have it, Luke."

He grinned and reached for it. "Thanks."

"So…" She glanced over to the glass sliding door that led to the back deck. "You ready to join me in the hot tub yet?"

He practically spit out his pizza. "Uh…"

"Relax, Broody, I'm kidding."

He visibly relaxed, chuckling lightly. "Yeah, I know…"

Ever since that day in the hot tub a few weeks before, Brooke had found it harder and harder to resist the temptation that came along with being the girlfriend of Lucas Scott. She understood his reasons for taking it slow, but that didn't mean that she was having a fun time waiting, and that was why she liked to tease him about it every now and then.

"It's getting late," she said, standing up. "Kate and I should probably head home."

He didn't look very pleased at this. "You're going to leave me in this big empty house all by myself?"

"It's not empty anymore," she replied with a smirk. "And I wish we could stay, but Kate's got school tomorrow."

He walked over to her, his hands moving to her hips, and lightly kissed her nose. "You working tomorrow?"

"Yes."

"Then maybe I'll stop by for lunch."

"And distract me from my work?"

"Of course."

She paused for a moment, looking thoughtful, and then grinned. "Sounds good."

He smiled, pulling her body close to his, and kissed her softly. "Hey," he murmured against her lips.

"Hmm?"

His head pulled back slightly so that he was looking right at her. "Did you need someone to pick up Kate from school tomorrow?"

"I think Jake was gonna do it, why?"

"I know she wants to be the first to try out the pool, so I figured I could bring her over here after school and she could swim a little bit until you get out of work."

"That's sounds fine with me and I know Kate will definitely be fine with it."

"Good, then I'll pick her up."

"Okay," she slipped out of his arms, "I'm going now. Will you be okay all alone?"

He let out an exaggerated sigh. "I guess so…"

She just rolled her eyes and moved into the living room. Kate was still sleeping soundly on the couch. Brooke lifted her daughter gently off the couch and into her arms. Lucas' hand went to her back as he walked with them to the front door. Smiling, she placed one last kiss on his lips.

"I'll see you tomorrow."

**888**

"Lucas!"

He was barely out of his car before Kate threw herself into his arms. Other kids sought out their parents in the crowded parking lot, but he couldn't help but feel like he fit in here amongst the other parents. He was a father figure to Kate and he was glad for that, but he felt at this point that he was already becoming more than just that—he felt like he was becoming a dad. And he was glad for that too; it just felt right.

He smiled down at her as he set her back down onto the sidewalk. "Hey, kiddo. You ready to go?"

She nodded enthusiastically. "Yup."

He'd planned on taking her straight to his house, but somewhere along the way she'd roped him into getting her some ice cream and there was no way he could resist her. When they finally did make it back to his house, it was getting later in the afternoon.

Kate had also managed to get him to go swimming with her, although he really didn't have much of a problem agreeing to that that due to the fact that, for a day in early October, it was actually quite warm.

At some point, though, it began to cool down and he lifted himself out of the pool and onto one of the lounge chairs next to it. Kate still splashed around, entertaining herself in her own little world. That's why he was surprised when she suddenly swam towards him, a perplexed look on her face as she sat on the edge of the pool and dangled her feet into the water.

"Luke?"

He lifted his sunglasses up to get a better look at her. "Yeah?"

"Are you gonna leave Tree Hill again?"

He cocked his head in confusion. "Why would you ask that, Kate?"

"Because I heard Aunt Haley say that you travel the world all the time."

"Kate." He moved from the chair to sit next to her. "I'm not going anywhere. I'd miss you and your mom too much if I did."

At this, a wide smile covered Kate's face. "Good, cause I don't want you to leave. I want you to stay in here in Tree Hill with me and my mommy forever."

He smiled and ruffled her wet brown hair. "You do, do you?"

"Yeah," Kate replied with a giggle. She quieted down a second later, looking up at him inquisitively. "Luke, do you love my mom like Uncle Jake loves Aunt Peyton?"

This question caught him off guard. He sat there for a moment, not sure what to say. Kate looked hopefully at him and then he knew his answer, although he'd known for awhile now.

"Yeah, I do."

Kate was beaming up at him, excitement written clearly in her eyes. "I think she loves you too."

"You do? And what makes you think that?"

"I know these things."

"When did you become such the expert on love, eh?" he asked, pulling her into a side hug and grinning down at her.

She shrugged. "It just comes naturally, I guess."

He simply laughed at that, loving this kid even more with every minute he spent with her.

"You're something else, Kate."

"Of course she is, she's _my _daughter, after all."

Both he and Kate turned around and he grinned as he saw Brooke walking towards them. "I figured you'd be out here, so I just let myself in. Hope you don't mind."

"No, of course not."

Brooke stopped a few feet from the pool and put her hand on her hips, eying the water warily. "It's getting kind of cold out, Kate. Why don't you go inside and get dressed and we'll head home?"

Kate didn't even have time to protest before Lucas responded. "Stay for dinner, Brooke."

"You sure?"

"Definitely. I could use the company."

Brooke smiled. "Okay, then. Kate, I still want you to get out of the pool. It's getting way too cold out here."

Kate was too happy to being staying at his house longer to object and swiftly jumped up and ran up back into the house.

Lucas stood up, reaching for his shirt.

"Mmm, keep it off."

He shot Brooke a look before pulling it over his head. "Kate's here."

"So? You weren't wearing it before I got here."

"That's because I was swimming," he said with a laugh.

A pout appeared on her lips and she walked over to him at the edge of the pool, her fingers messing with the bottom of his shirt.

"Brooke, do you know how tempting it is to throw you in the pool right now?"

She immediately pulled away from him, backing up towards the deck.

"This shirt cost me way more than I want to admit, so if you did I'd be forced to kill you. Or worse—break up with you."

"Well, we couldn't have that, could we?"

He walked over to her and grabbed her hand. "I'll let you off this time, Pretty Girl. Now come on, let's go inside and you can cook me some dinner like those nice little housewives on TV do."

She glared at him. "V_ery_ funny, Luke."

**888**

As they drove home later that night, Brooke found that she really wished they'd stayed at Lucas' house. Really, though, she just didn't want to be away from Lucas. They hadn't spent much time together today, although she and Kate had stayed rather late at his house again, and she wished she could have curled up with him on his couch and spent the night there. But once again Kate had school and since all of her stuff was at Jake and Peyton's, it wouldn't be a good idea for them to stay the night there.

"Did you have a fun day today, Kate?" Brooke asked, glancing at Kate in the rearview mirror.

"Mhmm. Lucas is the best."

She smiled. "Yes, he definitely is."

"He loves you, Mommy."

Surprised, she hit the brakes instinctively and the car came to a halt. "What?"

"I asked Lucas if he loved you like Uncle Jake loves Aunt Peyton and he said yes."

"Oh…"

She continued driving, trying to fend off the huge distraction that her daughter's words brought her in order to concentrate on the road.

"Do you love him too, Mommy?"

Did she? She didn't know for sure. She thought she might, but she never loved anyone before so she couldn't know for sure.

If being in love with someone meant that you spent almost every waking moment thinking about them, then yes, she was in love. If it meant that there was no one else on this earth that you could ever imagine being with, then she was in love. And if it meant that you would literally do anything for that other person, than she was definitely in love.

She'd heard a lot of people say that you just _know_ when you're in love. It's not a decision, it's something that just hits you, often times when you least expect it. She was pretty sure that was what was happening to her now and there was no way she could deny it.

And so she turned back to her daughter, a soft smile on her face, and nodded. "Yes, Kate, I do."

* * *

**A/N: **Okay, I know this chapter was pretty much all filler, but it's kind of necessary to move the story along. Hopefully it wasn't too boring and you all enjoyed it anyway. The drama is coming up in a few chapters. Actually, I'll tell you right now that chapter 12/13 is where it will start getting a little less fluffy and a little more dramatic…Still, it won't be anything over the top, so don't raise your expectations too high :D.

Also, I posted a new oneshot the other day. It's not about Brucas, though, so I'm not sure many of you will find it too interesting. It basically centers around Peyton and her relationships with both Jake and Julian. Kind of random, I know, but I got the idea in my head and I had to write it. So if you like Jeyton and/or Pulian, you should check it out!

Thanks for reading and please remember to review!


	11. Found

**Found**

It felt like Brooke had been on her feet the whole day, which, when she thought about it, was mostly true. She'd arrived at the work at around nine in the morning and now, at seven that night, she was still bustling around café, finishing up the dinner shift. She'd been working a lot lately, mostly because Deb was out of town and Karen was low on workers. Karen felt bad about it, but Brooke assured her that it was okay; Deb would be back in a few days, anyway, and then things would be back to normal. For the most part, she didn't mind working the extra shifts—it meant extra money and she could always use that—but it also meant that she wasn't able to spend much time with Kate or Lucas. In fact, in the two weeks since he'd moved into his new house, she'd only been there to see him a handful of times.

Tonight, though, would change that. Kate was staying with Nathan and Haley for the night, meaning that Brooke had the night to herself. Instead of spending it as she normally would with Jake and Peyton, she was going to use this break to spend some quality time with her boyfriend. It seemed like they were never alone anymore, especially since he moved into his new house. Kate was always with them, which neither of them minded, but every now and then she found herself wishing that she could have Lucas all to herself, if only for a few hours.

As the dinner rush slowly died down, one of the other waitresses at that worked at the café took over her tables and she was finally able to take a break. She only had an hour left of her shift, thankfully.

Stepping into the kitchen, she found Karen hard at work.

"Need any help?"

Karen looked up from the pot she was stirring. "No thanks, I've got it covered."

Brooke leaned against the counter and grinned. "Mhmm…do you really have it covered or are you still worried about me catching something on fire, because I swear, Karen, that was just a mixture of a couple of _way_ too greasy burgers and some really bad luck."

"Brooke," Karen said, shaking her head in amusement, "you know I trust you. Here," she moved aside, "come stir the pasta."

Brooke smiled triumphantly and moved over to the pot, stirring the noodles slowly. Karen moved over to the counter, working on putting together some of the orders.

"You've been such a lifesaver this week. I really don't know what I would've done without you."

"It's been no problem, Karen," Brooke said sweetly.

"Really, Brooke, you've been here all day pretty much every day for the past week and a half. I feel like I've been overworking you."

"You work twice as much as the rest of us."

"Still, I think you need a break. Haley mentioned that she can help out a little bit tomorrow, so why don't you take the weekend off?"

"Are you sure? Because I think you of all people deserve a break."

"I'm fine," Karen assured her, "I'll probably take most of Sunday off, anyway, since Deb will be back by then. Take a break, Brooke. You deserve it."

"I guess I can take the weekend off. Thanks, Karen."

"Of course."

Looking back down at the pot, she absent mindedly swirled the spoon through the simmering water. Even though she had been hesitant to take the whole weekend off, she really was happy that Karen offered. She actually really loved working at the café, but she needed a break and she had to admit that sleeping in sounded very nice right now, especially since Kate wouldn't be around to wake her up tomorrow morning.

"So, how are things going with Lucas?"

She looked back at Karen, who was now piling some fries on top of a plate. "Great."

"That's good."

"Yup." She continued swirling the spoon. "I was gonna go straight home after work and call it an early night, but I think I'm gonna stop by his house tonight instead and surprise him."

Karen smiled. "I'm sure he'll love that."

"We haven't seen much of each other lately, so it'll be nice to spend some alone time with him."

"I'd imagine so," Karen replied, chuckling softly.

The water was boiling now and Brooke turned down the burner.

"You know, I don't think I've ever seen Lucas so happy before."

Her eyes moved to Karen again in surprise. "Really?"

Karen nodded. "He absolutely adores Kate and he never seems to stop talking about you. He's head over heels for you, Brooke, and, as his mother, I can tell you that Lucas has never been this way with a girl before."

"Oh…"

She realized that a goofy smile had appeared on her lips, but she couldn't help it. It was so strange to think that not only did Lucas seem to feel as strongly about her as she did him, but that _she _could make him feel the way he did.

"Brooke, the water's about to boil over!"

Brooke looked down at the almost overflowing pot with wide eyes and moved it to the other burner.

She shrugged helplessly. "At least it didn't catch on fire."

**888**

Lucas' fingers flew from key to key. It was as if they had taken on a life of their own. He hadn't written like this in a very long time, but the inspiration that flowed through his brain right now was unstoppable. His eyes were latched to the computer screen, a small smile on his face.

Ever since Brooke and Kate had come into his life, he'd been writing like crazy. They were his inspiration right now, particularly for his newest book. After all, the story was loosely based on them.

He still wasn't completely sure how the book would turn out. His first book had been pure fiction while his second book had basically been a memoir of his traveling the world. This book, however, was a mix of fiction and real life, something he'd never attempted before.

He'd talked to Brooke about it first, since a majority of the story revolved around a character based off of her and he wanted her permission. She was completely flattered and was even helping him with certain parts of it. He still wasn't sure how it would turn out, though. The book was based on the relationships between two very different people who had been brought together by chance, very much like him and Brooke. There were many fictional aspects to the book, but in the end it was basically his and Brooke's story so far, although the characters all had different names. And that was why in order for him to pull this off, it needed to be perfect. He wouldn't settle for anything less.

He glanced at the clock on his computer. It was almost eight. He really needed to take a break soon and eat some dinner, but he wanted to finish this chapter first or else he'd lose the flow. He began typing again, ignoring the now prominent rumbling of his stomach.

The ringing of his phone a few minutes later forced him to finally look away from his computer. He was tempted to just ignore it, but it could be Brooke and he didn't want to miss any chance to talk to her. Rushing into the kitchen, he picked up his cell phone from the counter.

"Hello?"

"Lucas, I'm glad I caught you."

He held back a sigh as he realized it wasn't Brooke on the other line. "Hey, Lindsay. What's up?"

"Sorry to call so late, but I was wondering how you were doing on that new book of yours?"

It seemed as if she was calling every day asking him this very question, but he realized that she'd actually given him a nice break these last few days and had left him alone.

"I've actually got a lot of writing done today. Almost three chapters."

"That's great, Luke," Lindsay said enthusiastically. "You've got the outline finished, right?"

"Yeah, I've had it done since last week."

"Good." She paused for a second and he heard scuffling on her end of the line. "Lucas," she continued, "I know this is sort of short notice, but I was hoping we could get you up to New York for the weekend. My dad saw the first few chapters of your newest book and really loved it. He's going to be in town tomorrow afternoon and he wants to personally meet with you to take a look at the rest of your outline."

"Really?"

Andrew Strauss was a very important man and had started one of the most respected publishing companies in New York. He'd only met with Lindsay's father once before, when his first book was just about to be published. Needless to say, it was not wise to turn down any chance offered to meet with him.

"Yes. Would you be up to it?"

"I'd be honored. When would you need me there?"

"Tomorrow, preferably. Hold on a sec." He heard her typing and then a few moments later she spoke again. "I can book you a ticket for tomorrow morning at eleven. You'd meet with my dad at around three and then I'd like to meet you with you afterwards to look at what you've got written down so far. After that, you're free to go. I can get you a flight back to Tree Hill at around eight the next morning."

"That works for me."

"Okay," Lindsay said after another pause, "it's done. I'll email you your itinerary in a couple minutes. Otherwise, I'll just see you tomorrow."

"Great. I'm looking forward to it."

Setting the phone back down on the table, a wide grin formed on his lips. If Lindsay's dad wanted to personally meet with him, than this could only be good for his career. It did mean he'd have to leave Tree Hill and Brooke and Kate, but it was only for a few days and he'd be an idiot not to go.

Excited about what tomorrow would bring, he decided to finally take a break from writing and finally find something to eat. He was just about to open the fridge when the doorbell rang. He stopped what he was doing and headed to the front door.

"Brooke!"

He couldn't have been happier to see her face, especially since he had thought she was working late tonight and wouldn't be able to come over. She was smiling head to toe as she lifted up a box of pizza.

"I hope you're hungry."

This woman could practically read his mind. He simply nodded, opening the door wide and letting her come in.

"I thought you were working until closing?" he asked as they walked into his kitchen.

"I was." She set the pizza onto the counter. "But Karen let me off an hour early."

He smiled and walked over to her, kissing her cheek as his arms circled around her waist. "Did I mention how much I love my mom?"

She leaned against his stomach. "You'll love her even more when I tell you that she gave me the whole weekend off."

"Oh."

Her head tipped to look up at him, an eyebrow kinked. "_Oh_? You sure sound enthusiastic."

A guilty look spread across his face as he detangled himself from her and sat on one of the stools at the counter.

"I have to go to New York tomorrow morning."

Her face dropped. "Seriously?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I just found out. It turns out Lindsay's dad wants to meet with me to discuss my next book."

She sat on the stool next to him. "Isn't he like the head of your publishing company or something?"

"Yeah, so this is something I really can't turn down. It's a huge honor, actually. Lindsay said he really loved the first few chapters of the book and he wants to see the rest of the outline."

"Wow," Brooke said, now smiling sincerely at him, "that's great, Luke."

"I know." He put a hand over hers. "But I wish it could've happened _last _week when you didn't have whole weekend off. You haven't gotten a lot of those lately."

"Yeah, I know, but this is a huge opportunity for you. I'll have plenty of weekends off in the future. Anyway, at least we have tonight."

He grinned. "True."

She opened the box of pizza and offered him a slice, which he gratefully took.

"Hey, maybe you and Kate can housesit for me while I'm gone?"

She laughed. "What exactly is there to housesit?"

"Well, there isn't really anything, but I just thought it'd be nice for you and Kate to get away from the chaos that is Jake and Peyton's."

"That's very thoughtful, Luke, but it's only chaotic because of me and Kate."

He chuckled at that. "At least think about it, will you?"

"Oh, I don't even need to think about it—I'll do it. I was just pointing out that it really isn't necessary."

"Necessary or not, I think it's a good idea," he said, pleased that it didn't take too much begging to get Brooke to agree. Sometimes, she was much too stubborn. "Where is Kate anyway?"

He'd been so distracted by Brooke's appearance and Lindsay's call that he hadn't even noticed that Kate was nowhere to be seen.

"She's spending the night at Nathan and Haley's."

"So we're alone?"

A huge smile spread across her lips. Her hand moved to his thigh, squeezing it softly, and he audibly gulped.

"Yes, Lucas, we're _completely _alone. No distractions, all night. Just you and me."

He couldn't keep from smiling too. He knew there was no way he was going to be able resist her tonight. As a matter of fact, if she asked him to join her in the hot tub right now, he might actually agree this time.

"I like the sound of that."

Her hand moved up to rest on the nape of his neck. "Me too."

**888**

They were sitting on his couch, the movie playing on the TV long forgotten. Instead she sat cross legged on the couch, facing him. Lucas arm rested along the back of this couch, his feet cropped up on the coffee table. A half empty glass of wine was in her hands as she listened to him talk animatedly about a crazy motorcycle ride he'd gone on in Thailand.

"So the driver finally stops in front of the hotel, pulling a complete one-eighty in the process, and I'm just sitting there, pale as a ghost, clinging to the back of the bike and wondering what the hell just happened. Then he turns around and starts laughing. By now I'm completely confused. I honestly had no idea what was going on. Then he says, and I quote, 'you tourists are sure fun to tease.' Can you believe it? He spoke English the _whole _time."

She just laughed. "What a tease. I would have killed to see your face."

"It was crazy..." Lucas shook his head at the memory. "I swear, I thought I was gonna die. It was like I was on one of those rollercoaster rides where you think you're gonna hit the ground, but at the last minute you swerve around and just miss it. Except this was not a ride and he could have really hit something and then you definitely wouldn't be sitting here with me..."

Brooke smiled as he continued talking. She loved hearing about his stories from his time around the world. Sometimes Lucas reminded her of one of those old grandpas who would sit their grandchildren down and tell them an endless amount of crazy stories from 'way back when'. She could sit back and listen for hours to his countless tales that never got any less captivating. Lucas was a storyteller and it was one of the many things she loved about him.

Lucas took a deep breath, leaning back into the couch. "I'm never doing that again," he muttered.

She chuckled and reached over to put a hand on knee. "You've got to be the most interesting person I've ever met."

He shrugged. "I've just been around."

"You're too modest, Luke. Seriously, compared to you, my life has been completely dull."

He smiled, placing a hand over hers. "Nothing can possibly be dull when you're involved."

She sent him a smirk and scooted over to him, leaning her body against the side of his. His arm wrapped around her shoulders and her head fell onto his shoulder. She didn't say anything else, she just relaxed as his hand traced up and down her bare arm.

His voice broke the silence a minute later. "I've traveled the world, Brooke. I've been to so many places and done so many things, but at the end of the day it didn't really matter to me."

She looked up at him, eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"Because as great as all of that was, I was never completely satisfied. It was a distraction for me until I could find what would truly make me happy." His eyes were focused on her face and he took a deep breath. "Do you remember when I told you that I was looking for something while I was away?"

She nodded. "Yeah…You said you didn't know for sure if you found it, but you would know soon."

"I know now. I know for sure." His eyes pierced into hers, but she never once pulled away from his gaze. He was completely memorizing. "It was you, Brooke. I spent the last few years searching the world for something that would give me the satisfaction and happiness I yearned for, but it was you all along. You were in the one place I wasn't looking and it caught me off guard, but the moment I really started getting to know you, I just knew. I knew you were what I was looking for. I know that this might seem weird to hear since we've only been together for a couple of months, but—."

She cut him off. "Luke."

She twisted around, so she was looking straight into his eyes, but he spoke again before she could say another word.

"I love you, Brooke."

Her lips parted in surprise and his hands grazed the side of her face. In a way, she was expecting him to say it— actually she had been just about ready to say it herself—but to hear it out loud was so amazingly wonderful.

He was looking at her intently and then she realized that she hadn't responded. Her hand cupped his cheek.

"I love you too."

His face lit up with pure joy and before either could speak again, his lips came crashing onto hers. Her body pressed against him, his arms gripping her tightly to him, and she wasn't sure she would ever be able to pull away. But, unfortunately for her, he was able to.

"I've been waiting a long time to tell you that."

His lips were still dangerously close to hers, but she smiled, allowing her hands to delicately trace his jaw line.

"I have too," she replied.

"You don't think it's too soon?" His hot breathe was tantalizing against her face. She couldn't keep away much longer.

"No," she murmured, and then she moved an inch forward, pulling his lips back onto hers. This time it was impossible for him to resist. She was on fire. Her lips moved to his neck, sloppy and greedy, but she wanted him so bad. He moaned in response, tensing against her as her hands unconsciously unbuttoned shirt. He didn't seem to mind, though, and soon the shirt was off.

She pulled away for a second, admiring his naked chest, and then placed a slow, deliberate kiss on his lips. She could tell that he wasn't going to stop her tonight. There was simply no possible way he could resist her or that she could resist him.

She was straddling him and, much to her delight, his lips had moved to just behind her ear. She smiled, moaning softly as his hands tore at her shirt. It wasn't long before her top was off and she managed to slip of her jeans. Then he stood up and her legs wrapped around his waist, his hands gripping her butt. He toppled over to the stairs, but the way she was nibbling on his neck made it almost impossible for him to make it. Instead he stopped at the door, her back being thrust against it. Her legs slid down to the ground, but her lips kept contact with his bear skin. She traced kisses all over his neck, chest and face. Now that she'd gotten a taste of him, there was no way she'd be able to stop.

A husky chuckle escaped his mouth. "You've got to stop doing that if we want to make it upstairs."

"We don't need to go upstairs," she breathed out.

"Whatever you say, Pretty Girl."

She sent him a flashy grin and he pulled her up again, carrying her back over into the living room. He laid her down on the couch, his eyes taking her body in greedily. She tugged playfully at his hand, begging him to join her, but he continued staring at her, a brooding look on his face.

They were back at the point that they'd been at almost a month ago when they stood on his deck, ready to explore each others' bodies for the first time. The only question now was if they would get to finish what they started.

The way he was looking at her told her yes; he very much wanted to continue. He wasn't looking at her like he had that day on his deck or that night in his car. There was pure desire in his eyes, nothing else could possibly describe it. He only needed her permission and she knew he'd be right back with her.

"I'm ready," she said, staring right up at him. "Are you?"

Finally, a small smile appeared on his face and he nodded. "Yeah."

Then he was on top of her, his chest pressing hardly against her breasts, and there was no stopping them now. He said he wanted their first time to be perfect and she knew it would be. And, as his eyes met hers and she saw the pure love there, she knew that there was no better time than now.

* * *

**A/N: **All I can say is I hope you liked this chapter :D. Next chapter (or should I say the _end _of the next chapter) is pretty much the turning point for this story. It's going to change the dynamic from just pure fluff to some much needed drama.

Thanks so much for reading and please remember to review!


	12. The Best Thing

**The Best Thing**

His eyes slowly flicked open, the soft rays of the morning sun floating through the window and onto her beautiful face. He cropped himself up on his elbow, getting a good look at her. A smile crept onto his face as he remembered last night. It had been amazing. He'd been with many girls before, but none could have compared to last night. It was probably because sex had never involved love for him before, so he'd never been able to fully appreciate the beauty of it and how meaningful it really was. But with Brooke, he'd never felt so alive. He wouldn't even be exaggerating if he said it was the best night of his life.

They were in his bedroom now. He wasn't sure when, but at some point last night they'd found their way upstairs and into his bed. His hand moved to her face, grazing her cheeks softly. Her lips twitched into a small smile as her eyes opened up to greet his.

"Morning."

Lucas grinned as he placed a kiss on her forehead. "Morning."

Brooke moved her head to his chest and he felt her relax against him. His arms rested loosely around her middle.

"Last night was amazing."

"It was perfect," she agreed. A happy sigh escaped her lips as she looked up at him. "I love you."

He loved hearing her say that. He didn't think he'd ever be able to hear it enough, nor did he think he could ever say it enough.

"I love you too."

He bent his head down, kissing her softly. It was a few moments later when he heard her groan loudly. He pulled away, cocking an eyebrow as he looked down at her.

"What?" he asked in amusement.

"I just remembered that you have to leave for New York in like two hours."

He glanced over at the clock, realizing that he really should be getting ready to leave, and then let out a groan himself as he flipped onto his stomach, digging his face into his pillow in frustration.

"I really don't want to go now…"

Her warm hands ran down his back soothingly and he let out a soft sigh. "I don't want you to either, but you've got to."

"I don't _have _to," he mumbled into the pillow.

She laughed. "Yes, you do. You'll only be gone a day, anyway, so it's not a huge deal. Now," she patted his back roughly to get his attention, "go get ready. Kate will want to say goodbye before you leave, so we'll need to stop by Nathan and Haley's on our way to the airport to pick her up."

He finally sat up, frowning as he ran a hand through his hair. "Fine."

Then he looked down at her and was unable to keep his lips from forming back into a smile as she smirked up at him. The sheets were pulled up around her, covering her otherwise naked body, and he was so tempted to pull them off and fall back down into the bed with her. Instead, though, he stretched lightly as he stood up and moved to the other end of the room.

He stopped at the doorway of the bathroom. "I'm gonna take a shower," he said, sending her an enticing grin. "Care to join me?"

"Mmm, you know I would, but I don't think we have time."

"I think we'll be okay."

She didn't look entirely convinced, but she sat up, which he took as a good sign.

"Lucas…"

"Come on, Pretty Girl. You know you want me."

She laughed at this and he was pleased to see her detangle herself from the sheets.

"Okay, fine," she said, walking curtly past him. He watched in amusement as she turned the shower on. She was trying her best to look indifferent, but he knew she wanted to take this shower with him as badly as he did. "But if you miss your flight, don't blame me."

**888**

Kate wasn't exactly pleased to hear that Lucas would be leaving, but after assuring her that he would be back the next day, she seemed okay with it. After only a few months, her daughter was completely attached to Lucas. Brooke was too, of course, but she wasn't as quick to show it. She wasn't eager to spend the weekend without him, but she'd spent that last twenty-four years of her life without him, so she would be perfectly fine.

It was strange, though, to have someone walk into her life and only a short while later wonder how she could have possibly lived without him. But that's how it was with her and Lucas. She'd fallen for him hard and fast and now there was no getting out.

"Why are you going to New York, Luke?" Kate asked as they drove to the airport.

"I've got to meet with the editor of my book," he answered, glancing at her in the rearview mirror.

"Are they gonna read the book?

"Yup."

"The one with me in it?"

"Yes, the one with you in it."

"They're gonna love it then," Kate declared.

He laughed. "I hope so."

They arrived at the airport a few minutes later. Kate settled herself into Lucas' arms right away, claiming that she needed some more of her Lucas time before he went away. She'd been deprived of it lately, according to her at least. Brooke unloaded his suitcase from the car and now all was left was for them to say goodbye.

"I'm gonna miss you, Luke," Kate said somberly.

Brooke chuckled at her daughter's attitude. The way she was talking made it seem as if Lucas' was going off to war rather than going on a trip that barely lasted the weekend. But that was Kate, always overly dramatic, but in a cute way. Brooke was pretty sure her daughter got that quality from her.

He placed a kiss on Kate's cheek. "I'm gonna miss you too, baby girl."

He set Kate down and stepped over to Brooke. He kissed her softly, pulling away much too quickly for her liking. She reached for his hands, playfully swinging them as she smiled at him.

"Don't get into any trouble while you're gone."

"I won't," he replied with a chuckle, "as long as you promise not to let Kate throw one of her wild parties at my place. I'm not sure the house could handle the craziness."

"Hmm, I'll try."

He laughed, lifting his hand to brush her cheek, and then he kissed her again.

"Okay," he said, reaching for his suitcase, "I should get going."

"Bye, Luke" Kate said.

"Bye, kid." He kissed the top of her head. "I love you both and I'll see you soon."

She grabbed Kate's hand as they waved goodbye to Lucas and a minute later he had disappeared inside. Kate watched him leave, a sad frown on her face.

"Cheer up, honey, he'll be home soon."

"I know," Kate said, looking up at her, "I just like always having him around."

"I do too," Brooke said, because she agreed wholeheartedly. How they functioned without him in their lives before was a complete mystery to her.

**888**

Lucas only had a few minutes to recover from his flight and check into his hotel before heading to his meeting with Lindsay and her dad. He was excited, but at the same time slightly nervous. His last meeting with Mr. Strauss had been very brief and so he had no clue what this meeting would be like. He probably didn't have to worry, especially since Lindsay had assured him that her dad loved what he'd written so far, but he couldn't help it. Writing was his sole career and he wasn't going to risk anything jeopardizing that.

He spotted Lindsay walking towards him as he entered the lobby.

"Lucas," she said, smiling brightly, "it's great to see you."

"You too," he replied, pulling her into a brief hug.

He grinned down at her. He and Lindsay had known each other for years now and even though he loved to complain about her, she really was a great friend. They'd dated for a few months back when she'd been editing his first book, but it hadn't lasted long. They both quickly learned that their relationship wasn't meant for more than friendship. Despite that, their relationship since then hadn't been awkward. Their friendship now was a clear indication of that.

"Again, Luke, I'm really sorry about the short notice," Lindsay said as they stepped into the elevator.

"It's no problem. It means a lot just to know that your dad wants to meet with me. How much of the book has he seen anyway?"

"Just the first three chapters, but he loved what you had so far. You know a book is going to be good when the first couple of pages already have you hooked."

He looked at her in surprise. "Hooked? You think it's that good?"

Lindsay just smiled. "Luke, as long as you don't randomly decide to ruin the ending, I have no doubt that this will be your best book yet."

They were on the top floor now. He was still a bit nervous, but felt better after hearing Lindsay's encouraging words. To his surprise, Andrew Strauss was waiting for them as the doors opened.

"Lucas Scott," Mr. Strauss said, a giant smile forming on his lips as he held out his hand, "great to see you."

"It's great to see you too, Mr. Strauss," Lucas said, shaking his hand.

"Please, Lucas, call me Andrew. Now we've got a lot to talk about, so why don't you join me and my daughter in my office?"

Lucas nodded and he and Lindsay followed Andrew into his spacious office. Andrew took a seat in his chair, motioning for Lindsay and Lucas to take the seats across from him.

"You know," Andrew began, "I used to be the top editor here, but now I don't ever get to read all of the books my company publishes, let alone edit anything. And it's not because I don't want to, because I'd love to, but it's because I just don't have the time. But Lindsay kept insisting that I read the first few chapters of your new book and after a few days of nonstop pestering, I finally gave in. I have to say I'm glad I took the time to read it because I really feel like it's going to be great."

"Thank you, sir," Lucas said. He sent Lindsay a grateful smile, thankful for the fact that she believed in him enough to show her father his work.

"Let's take a look at that outline then. I'm interested to see what happens…"

Lucas handed him the outline, watching silently as Lindsay's father read over it. A blank look sat on his face, giving no reaction of what he thought.

"I have to ask," Andrew finally said, setting the outline back on his desk, "how'd you come up with the plot?"

"It's sort of based on my life actually," he said slowly. He still wasn't sure how to explain how he'd come up with the whole story, because even he didn't fully understand yet.

"Really?" both Andrew and Lindsay said at the same time.

"Not completely, there's some fiction in there, but in basic plot, yes, it's based off events that are going on in my life."

Lindsay was looking at him in surprise, probably because she had no idea about what had inspired him to write this book, but Andrew looked happy to hear this.

"Well, that's even better. It'll make the story that much more relatable, knowing that most of it is based on your life. The fans will love that, no doubt. And to make it clear, Lucas, I loved the outline. I thought it was fantastic."

"A few things might change," Lucas warned.

"Of course, that's how outlines work, but I have no doubt that it will be even better once written down. This will be hugely successful, Lucas, mark my words. If people don't know your name now, they will after this one is published. I wouldn't be surprised if we had to do a double tour. The fans won't be able to get enough of you."

"A double tour," Lucas said with raised eyebrows. He wasn't exactly sure how he felt about leaving Tree Hill again for such a long period of time, especially now that he had Brooke and Kate to think about.

"Oh, yes," Andrew said, "if your national tour goes well, then we'll probably do an international one as well. But Lindsay tells me you're quite the traveler, so you probably wouldn't mind would you?"

"Not if he has a real Penelope and Elizabeth to be thinking about," Lindsay interrupted, mentioning the characters in his book that was based off Brooke and Kate respectively.

Andrew looked confused. "What do you mean, Lindsay?"

"Lucas just said that this was based on his life, so I sort of concluded that he's got a Penelope and Elizabeth in his own life. Am I right, Lucas?"

"Yes," he said, nodding slowly, "I do. I'm not sure double tours would work, sir."

Andrew paused for a moment, looking thoughtful, then nodded. "Of course, I hadn't even considered that. But we don't need to worry too much about the tour right now. We can talk more about that when the books getting ready to be released. Now, Lucas, if you don't mind, I just wanted to go through a few things…"

**888**

A few hours later, after going through his whole outline, Lindsay led Lucas out of her father's office. As they entered the elevator, Lindsay put a hand on his shoulder.

"You're still up for dinner right?"

He nodded. "Sure."

"Good, because I have to say I'm pretty curious about this situation you've got going back on in Tree Hill. You never told me that this book was based on you."

"Never came up," he said with a shrug.

She sent him an exasperated stare. "Well, I wasn't going to randomly ask you if you just happened to be writing about yourself, now was I?"

They stepped out of the elevator and into the main lobby.

"I guess not," Lucas said, "but in my defense, it's not completely about me."

"You keep saying that," Lindsay said as they stepped outside. "I want to know what's based on you and what isn't."

"Well, for example, the ending. It hasn't actually happened."

"I got that, considering you're not married. At least I don't think you are…"

He laughed. "I'm not. It's just all the prominent characters that I'm basing on people in my life and then the basic plotline—the lonely rich guy falling for the charming single mother. But a lot of the stuff that goes on, all the drama and that stuff, it's all made up. None of it has actually happened to me and Brooke."

"Ah, Brooke. She must be your Penelope."

"Yeah, Penelope's her middle name actually. I'm not really good at coming up with interesting or original names so I thought I'd either go with their middle names, which is what I did with Brooke and Kate, or name them after someone I know. I obviously didn't use my own middle name and you really can't blame me for that."

"No, not many people would want to read about a guy name Eugene," Lindsay said with a grin. "Keith is a much more appropriate name."

"Yeah, I think so."

Lindsay pointed to a French restaurant on the street corner, asking if this place would be alright. He nodded and they entered the small restaurant, sitting down to wait for a table.

"So, when exactly did this whole thing happen? Because a few months ago you were single and just finishing the tour and now you seem head over heels for this girl."

"It all happened pretty fast. I went home to go to an old friend's wedding and she was the maid of honor, although she'd been living in Tree Hill for six months with her daughter Kate after moving there from New York. She works at the café my mom owns and so she's pretty good friends with my own family. So we met in pretty much the same way I wrote about in my book and we connected right away. The rest is history."

Lindsay was listening to all this with obvious curiosity. When he finished, she just smiled.

"You know, in the years I've known you, you've always been so hesitant to get into a relationship. I think you and I are a good example of that."

"We both agreed we were better as friends, though."

"I know," Lindsay said, "and I still think that was the best way to go for us, but I'm just saying that this girl has got to be pretty special considering the fact that you're writing a book about you and her."

"I love her, Lindsay," he said simply. "I haven't felt this way about anyone before. I know this sounds corny, but she completes me. I spent all these years searching the world for something or someone that would do just that and all along it was this absolutely amazing, beautiful girl and her equally amazing and beautiful daughter."

Lindsay put a hand on his shoulder. "You want to know what I think, Luke? I think this is great. Not only because this girl has got you writing like crazy, but because she makes you happy. And if Lucas Scott is happy, then that's all that matters, right?"

He smiled softly at her. "I guess so."

**888**

Brooke trudged down the stairs, pulling on Lucas' old gray sweatshirt that he'd left behind. It was strange how much she already felt at home here. It was a good thing, though, and Kate clearly felt the same way.

When she entered the kitchen, she found Kate standing at the glass door, staring longingly out at the pool. It was getting dark and it was lightly raining, two reasons that Brooke had used to explain why there was no way Kate was going to be swimming tonight. Kate claimed that she didn't care about that but Brooke had simply retaliated that _she _did and that was that.

"Honey, do you want to go pick out a movie?"

Kate turned to look back at her, a smile lit up on her face. "Can I pick out _any _movie?"

"Let's keep it PG, or better yet G," Brooke responded and Kate simply nodded as she ran into the living room. She took a seat on the stool at the counter and picked up the phone, calling one of her favorite pizza places. After making an order, she set the phone back down on the counter.

She was tempted to call Lucas, but she'd talked to him briefly an hour ago. He said that he'd go through most of the details when he returned, but Lindsay's dad had loved the outline and apparently everything else had gone well. He'd been leaving the restaurant he'd just eaten at with Lindsay and was heading back to his hotel when he called.

Brooke wasn't exactly sure what to think of Lindsay. She'd never met his editor before, but she knew that Lindsay and Lucas had dated briefly before. She didn't know the exact details of the relationship nor did she really have a strong desire to, but she couldn't help the small rush of jealousy that filled her mind at the thought of Lucas and his ex-girlfriend eating dinner together. She didn't have anything to worry about, according to Lucas anyway, and she trusted him, she really did, but she didn't know Lindsay and therefore she didn't know if she could trust _her._

Over the years, Brooke had become somewhat wary of men. Most of the guys she'd dated had been jerks and more than once she'd been cheated on. Lucas was different and she knew that without a doubt, but after the guys she'd been with, she'd grown paranoid. That was changing now, but it didn't mean that she wasn't going to be completely happy about the fact that Lucas was hanging out with an ex.

"Mom, I picked a movie!"

Brooke moved into the living room, glad to be distracted from her thoughts, and sat down on the couch next to her daughter.

"High School Musical 3!" Kate announced excitedly.

Brooke grinned through her teeth, wishing that Kate had avoided the trend that all little kids had joined in on these days. She'd seen this movie three times already and the first had been enough to last a life time.

"Great choice, sweetie," Brooke said, reluctantly ordering the movie.

They were a half an hour into the movie when the doorbell rang.

"Pizza must be here," Brooke said, jumping up from the couch and grabbing her wallet from the coffee table.

Brooke quickly opened the door, digging through her wallet to find the exact amount. "Just a sec…" She looked up a moment later, her eyes narrowing at the sight in front of her.

"Oh, you're not the pizza guy…"

"No," said the pretty redhead on the other side of the door said. She stood there, arms crossed and one eyebrow cocked curiously. "And you're definitely not Lucas."

"No," Brooke said, frowning, "I'm not. Who are you?"

By now, the redhead looked slightly confused. "I'm Rachel."

* * *

**A/N**: I'm so sorry about the wait for this chapter! I haven't even been that busy this week, but I just haven't been in the OTH mood lately, so this chapter was hard to write. But even though I'm still not in the OTH mood, I'm definitely back in a great Brucas mood, so hopefully the next chapter will be up much sooner.

I hope this chapter was worth the wait. I'm sort of iffy about it myself. I thought it'd be cool to sort of introduce the book Lucas is writing, even though I didn't go into too much detail, so that was the reason behind the whole Lucas/Lindsay meeting. Lindsay's definitely not anyone to worry about. Rachel, on the other hand, just might cause some trouble…

Thanks so for reading and don't forget to review!!


	13. Beautiful

**Beautiful**

"I'm Rachel."

Brooke froze, completely shocked. This was Rachel? The girl Lucas had dated in high school? Brooke took in the sight of her. The redhead stood there, obviously confused, wearing a skin tight extremely short black dress that made her fake tanned legs seem to go on for miles. She looked like the complete opposite of the type of girl Brooke thought Lucas would go for. In fact, slut was the first word that came to her when she looked at her. But then again, this _was_ the girl who had cheated on Lucas with a man much too old for her. She really shouldn't have expected anything more than this.

"I'm sorry," Rachel said, and Brooke noticed for the first time that neither had said anything for a few long moments, "but this is Lucas Scott's house, right? Because Mouth gave me his address and I double checked and everything, so…"

"Yes, this is his house," Brooke answered briskly.

"Okay…" Rachel's eyes narrowed, looking her over much like she had done only a second ago to Rachel. "So who are you?"

Brooke crossed her arms, annoyed. "I'm his girlfriend."

Rachel cocked an eyebrow. "Interesting…"

She opened her mouth, ready to retort, when she felt Kate come up from behind. She looked down at her daughter, who was peering up at Rachel curiously.

"Who's this, Mom?"

"Kate, go back into the living room, please."

Kate didn't even try to protest. The look on Brooke's face was a clear indication not to fight with her. Brooke wasn't happy right now. This Rachel girl was here to cause trouble, she could already tell.

"So when did Lucas knock you up?" Rachel asked airily as Kate disappeared.

Oh, yes, this Rachel was definitely a trouble maker.

"She's not his, not that it's any of your business, anyway."

Rachel let out a snide little laugh. "Whatever. Listen, is Lucas here? I kind of came here to talk to him, not you. No offence."

Brooke resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Well, you should probably just leave then. He's in New York."

Rachel looked surprised at this, but then nodded shortly. "Fine. Nice to meet you…whatever your name is."

Brooke watched in aggravation as Rachel walked down the walkway and back to her fancy looking sports car that was waiting for her at the end of the driveway. When she pulled away and speeded down the straight, Brooke slammed the door shut.

"Who was that, Mom?"

Her eyes wandered over to Kate, who was sitting on the couch, not looking at all interested in her movie.

"An old friend of Lucas'," Brooke answered tiredly as she sat back down with her daughter.

"She looked kind of mean."

"Yeah…" Brooke sighed again. Kate moved closer to her, resting her head on Brooke's lap. Brooke strung her fingers through the girl's dark brown hair, trying hard not to worry about this new development.

Lucas was in New York with in an ex-girlfriend and now here she was in Tree Hill, with another one of his ex-girlfriends, this one seeming much less trustworthy than Lindsay. She had no idea what to think of this. In the back of her mind, she knew she was a little rude to Rachel, but it was hard seeing her stand there, looking like she owned the place, and knowing that she was here to see Lucas. _Her _boyfriend.

Brooke didn't know very much about Rachel, other than that she left a broken Lucas behind after she cheated on him, but that was enough to make her despise the girl. And then she was worried too. She had no idea why Rachel was back and who knew what she wanted to talk to Lucas about. What if she wanted Lucas back?

No, she couldn't want him back. It had been years since they were together. They'd been over for a long time now and Rachel obviously never loved him if she was willing to throw away their relationship for virtually nothing. And even if Rachel wanted him back, Lucas would never take her back. He'd made it clear that he didn't love Rachel. But he loved her; she was the _only _girl he'd ever loved. He'd made that pretty clear as well.

But how could Brooke compete with Rachel? She was so beautiful, even though Brooke didn't want to admit it. She looked like a model. She probably _was_ a model and a successful one at that, judging by the car that she'd driven away in. And Brooke…Brooke was a waitress and a mom. She was still struggling to get back on her feet after spending years barely being able to pay the bills. What could Lucas possibly see in her when a girl like Rachel was around?

That thought made her go crazy. She couldn't bear the thought of Rachel taking him away.

"Are you okay, Mommy?"

Kate was looking up at her, a frown on her lips.

"Yeah, baby, I'm fine."

"You look sad, though."

"I'm not sad," Brooke said, smiling as best as she could.

Kate didn't look very convinced. "Really?"

"Really," Brooke said, and then she grinned mischievously before mercilessly tickling her daughter. Kate laughed, squirming around. If there was any way to distract Kate, it was tickling her.

And then the doorbell rang and this time it really was the pizza guy and for the rest of the night she tried her best to keep thoughts of Rachel and the trouble she was sure to bring out of her head.

**888**

After a nearly sleepless night of worrying about Rachel, Brooke found herself packing her and Kate's things earlier than necessary and by noon, they were out of Lucas' house and back at Jake and Peyton's. Kate wasn't happy about that, but Brooke was in a hurry to get home and talk to her best friend about the girl that had the potential to ruin everything she and Lucas had built.

"So?" Brooke asked after she finished telling Peyton everything. Peyton sat next to her on the couch, a blank look on her face. "What do you think?"

Peyton didn't say anything for a few moments. The only sound heard was Kate and Jenny jumping around upstairs on one of their beds.

"Honestly?" Peyton finally asked and Brooke nodded quickly. "I think you're overreacting."

Brooke tried very hard not to groan in frustration. "Really, Peyton? Do you _really _think that's what I want to hear?"

Peyton shrugged. "You said to answer honestly."

Brooke was glaring at her now. "I'm _not _overreacting."

"Yeah," Peyton said, cocking an eyebrow, "you are."

"How am I overreacting? My boyfriend's ex-girlfriend, who happened to be the first girl he was ever serious about, has suddenly popped up in town when everything is going great with me and Lucas. I'm finally in steady relationship with a guy who really loves not only me, but Kate as well, and Rachel could ruin that. I think I have a reason to freak out!"

"Yes, but you should know by now that this Rachel chick doesn't hold a candle to how Lucas feels about you. We all see how he looks at you, Brooke. He's crazy in love with you. Hell, you two will probably be married within the next year."

Brooke sent her another glare. "Peyton!"

"Well, you probably will be! I'd bet money on it."

Brooke really wasn't in the mood for this. "Peyton, can you please be serious for just one second and actually offer me some useful advice?"

Peyton twisted around on the couch, looking her right in the eye as she put both her hands on her shoulders. "It's gonna be okay, Brooke. You just need to deal with this calm down and deal with this rationally, meaning no getting into crazy catfights with Rachel "

Brooke sighted softly, allowing a small smile to grace her lips. "But I love catfights…"

"I know you do," Peyton said with a chuckle, "but unfortunately we are not in high school anymore and you need to be the better person."

Brooke sighed dramatically, still grinning. This calming down thing was working for her. "Okay…"

Peyton smiled too as she glanced over at the clock. "Now, don't you have to pick Lucas up from the airport?"

Brooke had almost forgotten, but now that she remembered, she wasn't sure if she wanted to pick him up anymore. She needed more time to think. "I not sure I can see him right now."

"Brooke, how is that going to solve anything?"

"Simple. If I don't go see him, than I can forget about dealing with Rachel and pretend that nothing is wrong."

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard."

Brooke stared darkly down at her hands. "Yeah, well, excuse me for not wanting to get my heart broken."

Peyton softened slightly at this, but then shook her head stubbornly. "You can't do this Brooke. Avoiding him won't solve anything. You need to talk to him about Rachel, tell him how you feel and why you're freaking out, and _that _it was what's going to solve this mess. Not picking him up from the airport will only put it off, but you know that you've got to talk eventually."

"I know," Brooke agreed, "but I just need some more time to think."

"Okay," Peyton said, and Brooke was glad she stopped arguing, "but you need to go see him tonight. He's probably gonna be really confused about this and he deserves to be informed."

"Yeah, I know," Brooke said, picking up her cell phone and figuring out who to call to pick Lucas up instead. She felt bad and she really did want to see Lucas, but she wanted to do it later, when they could talk alone. If she went to the airport, Kate would have to come with her and there was no way they were going to discuss Rachel with Kate in the backseat. At least that was one of the many excuses Brooke told herself as she called Nathan to pick Lucas up.

She was overreacting, Peyton was right about that, but it wasn't often that Brooke Davis opened herself up to a guy and the fact that she was opening herself up to Lucas now was a huge deal. She'd never been serious about a guy like this before and for the most part it was because all the guys that she had dated managed to treat her like crap. And if Rachel came here and turned Lucas into another one of those loser guys, she wasn't sure what she'd do.

But Peyton was right; she and Lucas needed to talk. And they would. Tonight. She'd go see him and tell him about Rachel, that is if Rachel hadn't found him by then…Okay, maybe she'd go sooner than that night. She'd call him in a little while and then she'd go see him. They'd sort this out and then everything would be okay.

**888**

The first thing Lucas did when he stepped out of the airport was look for the now familiar green Camry that Brooke drove. He watched as the cars circled in and out of the arrivals section of the airport, but didn't find any sight of Brooke. She'd told him that she was going to pick him up and he'd called her this morning to remind her what time he was arriving, but she hadn't answered. He hoped she got his message because after almost fifteen minutes of waiting, she still wasn't here. He called her phone, but still she didn't answer.

Now he was worried. Brooke always answered her phone, unless she was working, but even then she'd normally move to the backroom to take the call, especially if it was from him.

He was about to call Jake and ask if he knew what was up when he saw another familiar car pulling up in front of him. It was Nathan.

"Sorry I'm late," Nathan said, stepping outside to help him load his luggage into the back, "but Brooke called me last minute and I had to rush over here."

"Where's Brooke?"

"I don't know."

"Why couldn't she pick me up?" Lucas asked curiously. He felt better now that it seemed Brooke was fine.

Nathan shrugged as they both entered the car. "She just said she couldn't do it."

"Did she have to work?"

"I don't know…"

Lucas glared at Nathan. "Geez, thanks for the help."

Nathan rolled his eyes. "Look, I didn't ask any questions when she called. I just came…If it's any consolation she sounded sort of depressed when I talked to her."

Lucas frowned. "That's not really a consolation."

"Sorry," Nathan said, chuckling, "but she just sounded…weird. Maybe not exactly depressed, but like something was bothering her."

He was worried again. What could have possibly happened in the last twenty four hours that had Brooke so down? Now he really needed to see her and get this sorted out.

"Do you want me to drop you off and Jake and Peyton's?"

"No, she's probably still at my house."

"Actually, when I talked to her it sounded like she was at Peyton's."

"You could have told me that when I first asked where Brooke was."

"Slipped my mind," Nathan said with a shrug. "Don't get so riled up, Luke. I'm sure she's fine."

"Nathan, Brooke doesn't get in weird, depressed moods often. She usually always so…cheery. This isn't normal."

"Dude, relax. It's probably just that time of the month or something."

Lucas simply sent Nathan an exasperated glare.

"Or maybe not…" Nathan said, looking straight at the road and chuckling to himself. They pulled up to Jake and Peyton a second later. "Saved by the Jagielskis," Lucas heard him mutter.

Lucas glared at him again.

"What? I'm just glad I don't have to listen to your whining anymore..."

Lucas relaxed slightly, smirking at Nathan. "Thanks for the love, bro."

"Anytime. See you later, man."

Lucas picked up his suitcase, walking up to front door. He hoped Nathan was right and Brooke was there. He was worried about her, probably more than he needed to be, but if she really was in the mood that Nathan described her to be in, than something had to be wrong.

Jake answered the door a few moments after he knocked.

"Hey, Luke. How was your trip?"

"Great," Lucas said distractedly as he looked around Jake for any sign of Brooke. "Is Brooke here?"

"Yeah, she is. She had something to talk to Peyton about apparently, so they kicked me out. But they're done now, so I'm finally free to walk around my own home." Jake smiled at him, not catching onto Lucas' anxiety right away.

"You okay?" he asked a second later when Lucas didn't respond.

"Yeah, I am…Is Brooke okay, though? Because Nathan said she sounded weird when he talked to her and she didn't pick me up so it just seems like something's up with her."

Jake frowned slightly, thinking. "I don't know…I guess she seemed a little off when she and Kate came back from your place, but I wasn't around her long enough to think much of it."

"Oh…"

"She's up in her room now if you want to talk to her."

"Yeah, yeah," Lucas said, still lost in his thoughts. He followed Jake inside, dropping his suitcase by the door. As he turned around to go upstairs, he saw Kate at the top, a big smile on her face.

"Lucas!"

She flew down the stairs, launching herself into his arms. He smiled softly, kissing her cheek.

"How you doing, kid?"

"Good," she answered, grinning up at him.

"Did you have fun at my house?"

Kate nodded excitedly. "Yeah. I went swimming this morning, but Mommy wouldn't come in with me, so it was sort of boring. Can we both go swimming today?"

"Sure," he replied. His eyes traveled upstairs to see if Brooke was following her daughter, but still there was no sign of her. This was getting weird.

He set Kate down. "I'm gonna go see your mom for a second. How about you go grab your bathing suit and then we can head back to my house?"

"Okay," Kate said cheerfully.

"Alright, I'll see you in a few."

He climbed the stairs quickly, walking towards the end of the hall where Brooke's room was situated. The door was closed. He knocked quietly and a second later he heard her husky voice.

"Come in."

He poked his head inside. "Hey."

She was sitting on her bed, a magazine in hand. She smiled softly at the sight of him. "Hey."

His anxiety lessened as he moved inside the room, shutting the door behind him. She seemed fine, a little quiet, but fine. Still, there was something in the way that she was looking at him that told him that she really wasn't as fine as she appeared.

"I was just about to come down," she murmured, patting her bed for him to sit.

He sat next to her, leaning his back against the headboard. He heard her sigh gently next to him and he took her hand, stringing his fingers through hers.

"I missed you," he said.

"I missed you too."

Her head fell against his shoulder. He looked down at their intertwined hands, his thumb stroking her knuckles, and gently squeezed her hand.

"What's wrong?" he said, finally asking the question that had been on his mind ever since he stepped into Nathan's car at the airport.

She tipped her head to look up at him. Her eyes looked tired, as if she hadn't slept much. Something definitely was up now; he just hoped that she would tell him what it was.

"I met Rachel," she said quietly.

His eyes widened; he really hadn't expected to hear that. "When?" was all he could think to say. He didn't even know that Rachel was back in town.

"She came to your house last night to see you."

"I…" He shook his head, trying to understand why Rachel would even want to see him. They hadn't left on great terms, although Lucas, in that noble way of his, had told her she was forgiven, but he could never trust her again. "Why is she here?" he asked after a few moments.

He felt Brooke shrug against him. "I don't know."

He looked down at her again and, as she continued looking up at him waiting for his reaction, he saw the insecurity in her eyes for the first time. Now he knew what was bothering her— she was worried about Rachel taking him away from her.

"Brooke," he said softly, shifting around so that he was sitting right in front of her. He cupped her face in his hands. "You know you don't have to worry about her, right? There's no way that she will ever come in between us."

"I just…" She sighed again, shaking her head helplessly. There were tears in her eyes and his heart broke at the sheer vulnerability she was showing him. "I can't lose you, Luke. I can't…"

"You're not going to," he said forcefully, stroking her cheek with his finger. "I love you, Pretty Girl. _Only _you. I've never felt this way about anyone else, especially not Rachel."

"I know," Brooke murmured, her face relaxing against his hands as she closed her eyes.

"Then why are you worrying?"

A wry laugh left Brooke's mouth. "I don't even know…I guess I'm just a tinsy bit on the insecure side."

He shook his head, grinning lightly, and his hands moved down to her shoulders. "How could Rachel make you insecure?"

"Look at her and I standing side by side and then ask me that again," she responded. "She looks like a freaking model, Luke."

"Actually, she _is _model…"

"Well, that's just dandy!" Brooke said in a mocking tone. She looked back down, unhappy again. "She's living the life, Luke. She rich and successful and she's so beautiful and I'm…I'm just your typical frumpy looking mom."

"Do you even know how beautiful you are?" he asked incredulously. How could she even think that he would compare her to Rachel? Rachel was beautiful, yes, but compared to Brooke, she wasn't even worth looking at. In his eyes, there was absolutely no one more beautiful than Brooke Davis.

She looked up at him, her eyes soft again. "Luke…"

"Really, Brooke," he continued, "you're gorgeous. You're the type of girl that every guy lusts after. And I know you're just gonna come at me and ask how someone like you could possibly make a guy go crazy, but you just can, okay? You're _that_ beautiful. It's not in that short dress, fake boobs and tan kind of way, it's a real and natural beauty, completely original and completely sexy and just completely breathtaking.

"But you know what's even better? You're not just beautiful on the outside; you're beautiful on the inside too. And that's what matters most to me, Brooke. You're the most amazing person I know. The most incredible mother, the greatest friend, and the best girlfriend I've ever had— and you have to be the most loyal and selfless person out there. You'd do anything for the people you love. You're just amazing and, best of all, you're mine. Sometimes I can't even believe it, Brooke, but it's true. You're my girl. And I'm the luckiest guy in the world because of that. So, please don't ever put yourself down like that again because it's not true. Rachel can _never _compare to you."

He hadn't even noticed the tears that had started falling down Brooke's cheeks until he finished talking. He lifted up his hand up to her face to wipe away the tears.

"Do you mean that?"

"Of course I do," he murmured. Smiling softly down at her, he placed a kiss on her lips. "I love you, Pretty Girl, and that's never going to change."

A small smile appeared on Brooke's lips too and he pulled her into his arms "I love you," she mumbled into his chest.

"Are you going to be okay?" he asked after a few seconds of silence.

She pulled away slightly, wiping at the tears that had now dried onto her face. "Yeah."

"Good." He sent her a grin as he scooped up the long brown hair that fell in front of her eyes and tucked it behind her ear. "Now I've got to ask, how exactly did this whole thing with Rachel go down?"

Brooke laughed at this. "Oh, I think I was a bit of a bitch to her, to be honest. But in my defense she wasn't the sweetest girl I've ever met either."

"Yes, Rachel's…interesting, to say the least. She can be a handful. I just hope she's not here to cause any trouble."

"I think I can take her if she is," Brooke said confidently. "Although Peyton made me promise not to get into any bitch fights."

"Yeah, that might not be the best idea..."

A large rush of relief finally settled upon Lucas as they moved back to lean against the headboard. He was glad that they'd dealt with this right away. His arm rested along her shoulder, his hand running up and down her arm. Brooke went on about her meeting with Rachel, telling him exactly what happened, and he just smiled, listening quietly.

Everything was going to be okay.

* * *

**A/N: **Sorry for another long wait! I've been having some eye problems so I haven't been able to get on the computer to write because I could barely see. But I'm better now…well, kind of. I've got one contact in one eye and none in the other, so the one eye's blurry and the other is normal, meaning my eyesight is pretty uneven which still isn't very fun, but I'm getting backup glasses tonight so all should be well soon :D.

So I want to say that the Rachel drama isn't over yet. She's back for a reason and you will all figure out why soon (and no she isn't here to announce that she is the mother of Lucas' long lost child or something, so don't worry about that).

I posted a new story the other day, so you should check it out if you haven't ;). Thanks to everyone for reading and especially for reviewing. You all are awesome!

**Lena: **I just realized that it's been awhile since I personally thanked you for your review and I'm really sorry for that! So thank you for all of your past reviews! They've all been amazing. Like I said in the above note, you don't have to worry about Rachel having a kid that she claims is Lucas'. That would make things way more complicated than I want things to be, not to mention it's definitely something I would _not_ enjoy writing. Anyway, I'm so happy that you enjoyed the last few chapters! I hope that this chapter turned out enjoyable for you too. And don't worry, Brucas will make it through. There will be a few bumps along the way, but they will. Thanks so much for being such a dedicated reviewer!!!


	14. Reassurance

**Reassurance**

Lucas walked into Karen's Cafe, saying a quick hello to his mom as he took a seat at the counter. She set a cup in front of him, filling it with the black coffee that he sorely needed. He thanked her quietly, taking a long sip.

"Brooke's not here."

"I know. Is it so hard to believe that I came here to see my mom?"

"Yes." He sent her a pointed look and she quickly relented. "I'm kidding. Really, though, why aren't you with Brooke?"

"She's cleaning."

His mom's cafe was one of his many ways of distracting himself before it was time for him to head over to see Brooke, who was in the midst of some serious spring cleaning with Peyton. When he'd stopped by her house earlier that morning, Lucas joked that cleaning really wasn't what most people would do on their day off, but Brooke insisted that Peyton's house was a pigsty and it needed to be done. Then she made it clear that he was not to come around to her house until later that evening, something he wasn't happy about, but he knew it was no use arguing over.

"What a way to spend her day off."

"I agree," Lucas said. "She should be spending it with _me_, especially since I've been gone the past few days."

"How'd your trip go, anyway? I never got to hear about it."

"Good. Lindsay's dad loves the outline. He even thinks we'll have to do an international tour, along with the national one."

"International?" Karen didn't look extremely happy at this and he couldn't blame her. "I'm not sure how I feel about you being gone that long again."

"Believe me, I definitely don't know how I feel about it either, but don't worry— we don't have to deal with it for awhile."

Karen leaned against the counter and he could tell by the look on her face that the subject was about to get more serious. "Do you know that Rachel is back?"

He simply nodded. He was surprised that his mother already knew, but then again word got around fast in Tree Hill.

"Have you told Brooke yet?" Karen continued.

"Actually, she knew before me. Rachel came to my house while I was away and Brooke was there to greet her."

"So they've already met?" Karen asked in surprise.

"Yeah."

"How does Brooke feel about it then?"

"She wasn't happy at first. She got a little insecure, I guess. She was worried about Rachel taking me away from her."

"You told her that would never happen right?"

"Of course," Lucas said, slightly amused at how worried his mother looked right now. "She knows how much I love her."

Karen was clearly relieved. "Good."

"Geez, Mom, you looked more freaked out than Brooke did."

Karen chuckled lightly, refilling his now empty cup with steaming coffee. "Sorry. I just think that you and Brooke are perfect for each other and I'd hate to think that Rachel could come in the way of that. Don't get me wrong, I actually did like Rachel sometimes. She was very…friendly, to say the least. I just never thought that you and her fit very well. And after what she did to you, I guess I was right."

"It's been years," Lucas said, "I'm over everything and I'm over her. Brooke is the girl I love. I'm not worried at all about Rachel trying to change that. Anyway, I don't think anyone is giving Rachel enough credit. Why does everyone assume she's here for me?"

"I don't know," Karen said with a shrug. "I guess it's just the first thing I thought of when I heard she was back and I know I'm now the only one who was thinking along those lines."

"Even if she is, no one has to worry. I love Brooke. It's as simple as that."

"I know it is," Karen said. "Now, are you hungry?"

"Of course," he said with a grin. He gave his mom his order and she disappeared into the kitchen. He was just about to grab a newspaper when he heard a familiar voice behind him.

"Well, well, look who it is."

Lucas twisted around to find the feisty redhead that he and his mother had been talking about only a few seconds before. Rachel smiled at him in that mischievous way of hers that she knew he never could resist, but he just smiled politely at her.

He was now incredibly happy that Brooke had another day off, because she would not be very happy to deal with Rachel in the place that she worked. He could imagine the immediate tension it would bring to the café.

"Rachel Gatina. It's been a long time. How've you been?"

"Okay," she said, her smile faltering slightly. She slipped onto the stool next to him and her playful smile returned. "Miss me?"

He laughed. "Uh…"

"Oh come on, you know you did. Once your life has been blessed with Rachel Gatina, it will never be the same without her."

"You know you're starting to sound like Chris Keller, right?" he said, referring the egomaniac rock star that had caused chaos in the lives of Nathan and Haley back in high school.

"Ugh." She winced at the comparison. "Okay, I'll tone down the narcissism."

"Good. So..." He took a slow sip of his coffee, glancing at her purposefully. "What brings you back here?"

She shrugged. "I missed everyone."

"That's funny coming from the girl who was in such a hurry to leave this place. I can't even count the amount of times you referred to Tree Hill as hell on earth."

"You learn to appreciate this place once you leave," she said thoughtfully. "I complained about it a lot, but I really did love Tree Hill most days. I had some of the best days of my life here."

"So where are you living now, exactly?" He hadn't had any contact with Rachel in years and, except for the fact that he was pretty sure she was still modeling, he had no clue what was going on in her life.

"New York City."

"Still modeling?"

"Yup."

"And how's that going?"

"It's paying the bills."

He looked at her curiously. "You don't sound so excited about it."

"It's great. It just gets a little old after awhile…" She trailed off, her eyes traveling over to the window, and he waited patiently for her to continue. "Anyway." She focused her attention back on him. "I met your girlfriend the other day."

"I heard."

"She was very _welcoming_."

"In Brooke's defense, she really wasn't expecting to see you there."

"Brooke, huh?"

"Yes, that's her name."

"Hmm…"

He stared at Rachel inquisitively. She clearly was trying to keep her mouth shut, either because she had nothing good to say or she just didn't want to get nosy, but since Rachel was the nosiest person he knew, it had to be the first option.

"Rachel, you don't even know her."

"I didn't say anything!" she said, raising her hands in defense.

"I know what you're thinking though. You don't like her."

"She just seems like a bitch," Rachel said bluntly.

"You mean she seems like _you_?"

"Ha. Funny. Seriously, though, I'm just looking out for you."

"I appreciate that, Rachel, but I don't need you to look out for me. It's been five years. We're old friends and we have a past and that's fine, but it doesn't matter anymore. I've got a life here – a _great_ life— and if you're here to screw up the one great relationship I've ever had then you might as well leave because you're wasting your time."

Rachel kinked an eyebrow. "It's a bit arrogant of you to assume I'm back here for you, don't you think?"

"Then why _are _you here?"

"I already told you—to visit old friends. Is that so hard to believe?"

She sounded sincere, but he knew Rachel well enough to know that she wasn't just here to see old friends and after her quick judgment of Brooke, he was starting to think that his comment earlier about not giving enough credit to Rachel had been said too quickly.

He wasn't going to push her, though. It wasn't his place. And so he fell into silence, staring down at his coffee. He hoped his mom would be back with his food soon so he could find a distraction from the confusing redhead sitting next to him.

"Sorry about calling Brooke a bitch," he heard Rachel mutter next to him.

He just smiled. He'd always had a way of making Rachel feel incredibly guilty and his power over her obviously hadn't changed over the years.

"It's okay. She wasn't calling you the nicest of names yesterday either. She's a great girl, though…" He smiled subconsciously as he thought of his pretty girl.

"And she's got a kid?" Rachel wasn't speaking judgmentally this time, but rather curiously.

"Yeah." His smile grew wider. "Her name's Kate…"

"I always pegged you as the fatherly type," Rachel said thoughtfully. "One of the many reasons you and I would have never worked. I'm ages away from being ready to have kids."

"You never were too fond of kids," he said with a laugh. "I remember when Jamie was born, you called him an 'it' for the first few weeks and looked grossed out at the thought of even touching him. And when Lily was born, you pretty much stopped coming over to my house"

"Yeah, I've gotten a _little _better with kids since then," she said, laughing too.

"I hope so…"

"I'm glad that you're happy, Luke," Rachel said after a few seconds of silence.

"Thanks," he replied, a little surprised at her words.

She nodded, standing up. "Well, I've got some people to see, so I'll leave you be."

"Where are you staying?"

"Mouth's letting me crash at his place."

"Do you know how long you'll be here?"

"I'm not sure. I'll definitely see you around, though."

He smiled. "Sure."

She turned around, sending him a small wave, and then walked over to the door, disappearing outside. To his surprise, it was actually really nice to see Rachel again. They'd always gotten along well, something that came as a shock to most, and despite everything that had happened, it was good to get a chance to catch up with her.

Seeing her had also proven something else to him and that was that Brooke was really the only girl for him. He and Rachel had had a lot of good times, but he was never as serious about her as he was with Brooke. There was just no way that anyone could even compare his and Rachel's relationship to his and Brooke's.

There was one main difference, however, and that was that Lucas loved Brooke. It was as simple as that. He'd loved no one else before her. He cared for Rachel, as well as his other past girlfriends, but he had never been in love with anyone like he was in love with Brooke.

Brooke was his soulmate. He was sure of that. She was his life now. Brooke and Kate. They'd taken over his world in such a short amount of time and he'd never have it any other way.

**888**

Brooke didn't mean to pry about Rachel without talking directly to Lucas, but all he ever told her about Rachel was that they were never that serious and that Rachel had cheated on him. That was basically all she knew. She asked Lucas a little more about Rachel yesterday, but he didn't give her much to work with. She doubted it was because he was hiding anything from her— he was probably just not interested in talking about it— but she needed to know more and that was why she couldn't help but bring it up now.

She was sitting at Peyton's kitchen table, right across from Haley, who had come over after school with Jamie. The kids were all outside and so she wasn't worried about any distractions.

"Haley, what exactly can you tell me about Rachel?"

Haley smiled. "I was wondering when you were gonna bring her up."

"It's just that Lucas doesn't really say much about them other than the obvious and I guess I should be asking him, but I wanted to ask someone with a more objective point of view."

"I wouldn't exactly call me objective when it comes to Rachel," Haley replied.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I really didn't like her. And when I say really, I mean I really, _really _didn't like her_. _I was _this _close to hating her, actually."

"Was she really that bad?" Peyton asked from her seat next to Brooke.

"She could've been worse," Haley said. "I think I really didn't like her because I felt like she was corrupting my best friend. Lucas had already gone through his little rebellious stage a year earlier and then Rachel came into his life and I just felt like he was heading back in that direction."

"What was Rachel like?" Brooke asked. She wanted to know why Lucas had been so attracted to her in the first place.

"In short, she was the slutty cheerleader who lived for parties and boys."

Peyton nudged Brooke. "Sounds like someone I used to know."

"I've changed since then," Brooke said in annoyance. "And you know there was more to me than that."

"That's true," Peyton replied.

"I'm sure there was more to Rachel too," Haley continued. "That's what Lucas always claimed anyway."

"Then why did Lucas like her?"

Haley looked thoughtfully at her. "Rachel was actually really good to him after his Uncle Keith was killed. I don't know what happened, but she just decided that she was going to be his actual friend, instead of throwing herself at him like she normally did. Lucas really needed a distraction during that time and Rachel gave him that distraction. That's when they started getting close and then a few months later, they were dating. I, of course, wasn't too pleased about that, but I couldn't do much about it."

Brooke wasn't expecting this. She'd thought that Lucas and Rachel had been a trivial high school romance with little emotional involvement, but what Haley had just described seemed much more than that.

"So they weren't solely physical?" Brooke asked.

"Oh, they were definitely physical. It was nauseating, actually. But Lucas was the first guy Rachel actually dated exclusively, so I think there was more than the physical aspect to it. Of course, I never really saw it, but I'm sure that there was more to them than sex."

This wasn't what she wanted to hear. She wanted to hear that Rachel and Lucas had a short, purely physical romance that meant nothing to either of them. She didn't want to hear that Lucas was the first guy Rachel had been serious about because that probably meant that Rachel was the first girl _Lucas _had been serious about.

"Oh, Brooke, I'm sorry." Haley was looking at her guiltily from across the table. "I'm sure that this isn't doing anything to comfort you, but you have to believe me when I say that, even though Rachel and Lucas weren't completely meaningless together, they were never even close to having what you and Lucas have."

"I just didn't know that they were so close," Brooke murmured. "I mean, she helped him cope through his uncle's death. That's a pretty big deal."

"I know, but it doesn't mean that they had some epic high school romance. They were good friends for a period of time and then they briefly dated. Thenshe cheated on him with Nathan's uncle and threw away any chance they had of becoming something more. Rachel cared about Lucas, I know she did, but she didn't even tell him about Cooper. He had to find out through Nathan. And even if she didn't cheat on him, they would've broken up by the end of the summer since Rachel was going to New York for school and Lucas was going to UNC. There was no way they would've even tried a long distance relationship."

"Yeah…"

Brooke really didn't know what to think about Lucas and Rachel anymore. The insecurity from last night was coming back.

"Brooke, you should really talk to Lucas about this. He can explain everything so much better than I can. But please promise me you won't let this get to you. He and Rachel were nothing compared to you both."

"I'll talk to him," Brooke said quietly. "And I won't let it get to me."

Well, she'd _try _not to let it get to her. There was no guarantee, however, that she'd be able to.

**888**

Brooke stood at Lucas' front door, Kate's hand in hers. She was going to talk to him tonight and clearthe air about everything right away. She didn't want this whole thing dwelling on her mind much longer.

"Hey," Lucas said with a grin as he opened the door. He winked down at Kate playfully. "Lily's inside waiting for you."

Kate beamed in excitement, slipping past him to go find Lucas' sister.

"Lily's over?"

"Yeah, she's spending the night. I figured she'd keep Kate occupied so we could spend some alone time together."

She was glad that Lucas had thought of that. She needed all the alone time she could get with Lucas tonight and Lily would definitely prove to be a good distraction for Kate.

He opened the door wider, motioning for her to follow him inside.

"That's good," Brooke said as they walked into his living room, "because we need to talk."

He turned to look at her, clearly confused. "That doesn't sound good."

"Relax, I just have a few questions for you."

They sat down on his couch. She heard Kate and Lily running around upstairs. Now was her chance to get everything out of him.

"What kind of questions?" he asked curiously. One of his hands moved to rest in her lap. She took it, twirling her fingers with his.

"Rachel questions," she answered.

"Ah, yes, Rachel. I bumped into her at the café today, by the way."

She stared at him in surprise. "And you're just telling me now?"

He looked slightly amused. "Well, since you've been keeping me away from you the whole day I haven't really had the opportunity to tell you."

She settled down at this; he was right. "So what happened?"

"We just caught up. She's living in New York and still modeling. I asked her why she was here and she told me because she's missed everyone. I'm not so sure about that, though."

"You don't think she's here for you, do you?"

"I don't know. It's been so long and I'd have thought she would have moved on a long time ago. But it's Rachel, so who knows. I really hope she isn't here for me, because she'd be wasting her time if she was." He sent her soft smile. "There's only one girl for me."

She was unable to keep from smiling back. "Good to know."

He scooted closer to her, his arm wrapping around her waist. Placing a kiss on the top of her head, he looked down at her seriously.

"So what were these Rachel questions you wanted to ask me?"

"I was talking to Haley today," she began, "and she told me some stuff about you and Rachel that you never told me."

He pulled away from her slightly so that he could look straight at her. "Like what?"

"Like that you and Rachel were more serious about each other than you've claimed."

"Brooke—."

"She told me that Rachel helped you after your uncle died, that you two were really close during that time. She said that you were the first guy she ever exclusively dated and that she cared about you a lot."

She watched as he sat there, eyes narrowed. He didn't exactly look conflicted or guilty, but more like he was trying to figure out how to explain everything properly.

"Rachel was a good friend of mine once," he said slowly. "We both cared a lot about each other. And yes, Rachel and I weren't just physical, we had some sort of emotional connection, but it was never anything like you and I have now. I can tell you that without a doubt because I was there. I was in the relationship and I know that I was never serious about her in the way that I'm serious about you."

"I know," Brooke said, "and I can understand that there have been other girls in your life who you cared about, maybe even loved. I get that. You have a history that came before me. What I don't understand is why you always made it seem like you and Rachel meant nothing. Did you think I couldn't have handled knowing that you cared very strongly for another girl at another point in time?"

"No, of course not. I just…" He shook his head, frustrated. She didn't mean to put him on the spot like this, but she had to know. "It's just that mine and Rachel's relationship was on another level than mine and yours. Rachel was a just high school fling. I never saw a future with her after high school. Honestly, I don't even know how we lasted as long as we did. But with you…I'm always thinking of our future. I want a future with you, Brooke. It's not just a fling we've got going on, it's so much more. You and I are going somewhere, whereas Rachel and I were going nowhere. We were just passing the time until we found the ones we were meant to be with."

She listened quietly, knowing that he was being honest with her right now.

His eyes bore intently into hers as his hand gently squeezed hers. "You've just got to trust me on this."

She nodded slowly. "I do."

A smile lit up his face as he relaxed. Taking a deep breath, he leaned back into the couch and rested his head on top of hers.

"I'm sorry about all this, Brooke. I never meant to make you worry like this."

"It's okay…I might be overreacting just a tad."

"No, you're right to react this way. I should've told you more about me and Rachel instead of leaving you with only the obvious details."

"I understand, Lucas. What you and Rachel had isn't that big of a deal to you anymore and so you didn't want to make it a huge deal with me. I get it and I probably would have done the same thing."

He looked down at her, his fingers tracing up and down her arm. "I just need you to know that you have absolutely nothing to worry about. Even if Rachel is here for me, I'll never let her try anything. We'll make it through this, Brooke, don't worry."

"I know we will."

She leaned against him, comforted by his simple touch. She felt bad for bringing up her insecurities to Lucas again, especially since they'd had a similar conversation last night, but now she was once again sure of the fact that Rachel wouldn't be a problem.

She and Lucas had been sailing smoothly throughout their relationship so far. It was inevitable that something stirred up some trouble for them and if Rachel was that something then Brooke knew she and Lucas would be okay. She wasn't worried anymore.

She just hoped that she'd feel the same way when she saw Rachel again.

* * *

**A/N: **So this was pretty much another filler chapter, but like I always say with fillers, it was needed to move the story along. Next chapter things should get pretty interesting…

Thanks for reading and please remember to review!!!

**Lena: **Hello again! First of all, thanks so much for another awesome review. I get so excited when I open up my email and see that you've left a review! I'm glad you pointed out that you thought Peyton wasn't being very understanding with Brooke last chapter. When I was writing the chapter, I kept thinking that maybe Brooke was overreacting a little. I mean, she really doesn't have much to worry about because Lucas is head over heels in love with her. So I kind of had Peyton voice that out in the chapter. Brooke had a good reason to be insecure, but I knew that some people would think Brooke was overreacting and some people would think she wasn't, so I had Peyton there to show the other side of things. And I won't say much about Peyton's little mention of them getting married, but I will say that it's okay to get your hopes up because either way you won't be let down ;). That's funny that I wrote the chapter similar to how you imagined it. From the moment I planned it, I knew I didn't want Brooke to go pick up Lucas. I wanted him to wonder why she wasn't there and then to know something was wrong and go see her and figure out what was bothering her. I'm happy you liked Lucas' speech. It was my favorite part to write that chapter. Thanks again for reviewing!!!


	15. Turning Point

**Turning Point**

Lucas was hard at work on his computer, typing up the latest chapter of his book, and he was once again on a roll. He'd been working on it since early that morning and now it was close to noon, but he just couldn't tear his eyes away from the screen. The last thing he needed right now was a distraction, especially when he working his way to the climax of the book. Unfortunately, though, a distraction was inevitable. His door bell rang and, even though he wanted to ignore whoever was at his door, he reluctantly stood up, leaving his work behind as he left his office and headed to the front door.

"Hey, guys," he said as he opened the door. Nathan and Jake stood there, both looking oddly determined. Lucas looked at them curiously. "What's up?"

"I think it's about time we talk about Rachel," Nathan said, crossing his arms. Jake nodded in agreement.

"Uh, okay…"

Nathan and Jake pushed past him and moved into the living room, where they both took seats on the couch. Lucas followed them, confused. He wasn't sure why they felt the need to talk to him about Rachel now, especially since she'd been back nearly four days now. The drama about her return had died down and therefore Nathan and Jake were a little late.

Lucas sat in the armchair across from them. "Okay, then," Lucas said expectantly. "What exactly about Rachel do we need to talk about?"

"Has she…tried anything with you?" Nathan began slowly.

Lucas raised an eyebrow. "I think you'd know if she did."

Nathan nodded and shared a look with Jake before speaking again. "Listen, Luke, I know that this might not be what you want to hear, but we're pretty sure that Rachel isn't just here to see old friends. We think she's here for you."

"For me?" He'd suspected that at first, but lately he'd been starting to believe that she was telling the truth about just coming home to see everyone. "Why do you think that?"

"I was at the Rivercourt last night with Mouth," Jake said, "and Rachel showed up."

"Okay…"

"She asked a lot of questions about you and Brooke. She seemed abnormally interested in you two."

"Well, Rachel's always been into the town gossip," Lucas said, shrugging his shoulders. He really didn't know what else to say about that.

"I know," Jake said, "and I'm not saying that she wasn't just interested in learning more about the back story of you two, but it was just odd."

Nathan nodded. "We're only telling you this because, knowing Rachel, she might try something with you."

"Guys, I appreciate your concern, but I really don't think that's going to happen."

Neither of them looked convinced.

"Lucas," Nathan said, "do you really think you can trust her? I mean, this is Rachel we're talking about. You and Mouth were basically the only ones who trusted her back in high school and look what happened—she pretty much screwed both of you over."

"It's been years since then," Lucas said with a sigh. "She's changed; we all have. And I'll admit that I thought she might be back here for me when I first learned she was home, but she hasn't made any attempt to even see me the past few days, so I really don't think I'm her main reason for being here."

"Then why did she ask me about you?" Jake questioned.

"Like I said, she was curious."

Nathan was shaking his head in obvious disagreement. "Why are you even defending her?"

"Because I know her and I trust her enough to know that she isn't going to try to mess things up with me and Brooke."

It wasn't that Lucas completely trusted Rachel, but there was something in him that told him that Rachel wouldn't try to screw up his relationship with Brooke. She wasn't that type of girl anymore. Rachel made a lot of mistakes back in high school, there was no denying that, but she was still a good person at heart, he knew that first hand, and that was why he was choosing to put a little faith in her. He just hoped she wouldn't prove him wrong.

"You know this has always been your problem with Rachel, Lucas—you put too much trust in her. I saw her the other day and she seemed like the same girl who released the time capsule at school and the same girl who cheated on you with my uncle. She just didn't seem like she'd be opposed to coming between you and Brooke."

"All we're trying to say is not to let your guard down," Jake added. "Rachel may be a completely changed person for all we know, but until you know for sure that she has absolutely no interest in you, you shouldn't get too comfortable around her."

Lucas leaned back in his chair, staring past Nathan and Jake and out the window. They were probably right. Rachel might have told him that she wasn't in Tree Hill for him, but she'd always been a good liar. Still, it had been so long since they'd been together and Rachel was right—it _was _a bit arrogant of him to think she'd still be pining after him after all these years. But he would listen to Nathan and Jake, especially since they were clearly doing this out of concern for not only him, but Brooke as well.

He looked back at his brother and friend. "I won't let Rachel come between Brooke and me," he said firmly, "so I'll take your advice. I'm still not convinced that Rachel's here for me, though."

Nathan and Jake looked relieved to hear that.

Lucas knew now that he needed to talk to Rachel again to clear everything up. He wasn't sure how he could get the truth out of her—if she'd actually been lying to him in the first place, that was—but he wasn't going to let everyone make a big deal out of something that really could be nothing.

"So, now that that's dealt with," Nathan said, standing up, "are you in the mood to go down to the Rivercourt?"

He definitely wasn't in the mood to _write_ anymore, that was for sure. This whole Rachel discussion had drained his mind. Basketball would probably do him some good.

So he nodded, smiling softly. "Sure."

**888**

Brooke was in the middle of pouring a customer a cup of coffee when the one person she was not in any hurry to see again walked in. The tall, leggy redhead looked particularity stunning today, although the black mini skirt she wore was just a tad bit too _mini _for Brooke's liking.

Rachel's eyes lit up in surprise at the sight of Brooke. She probably had no clue that Brooke worked there and, although Brooke was perfectly happy working at the café, she would have preferred that Rachel didn't know, only because, compared to what Rachel did, it wasn't exactly a high class job. Rachel would probably think that Lucas could do a lot better.

She tried her best to put on the politest smile she could muster as Rachel strode up to the counter, but seeing Rachel's smug face made it incredibly hard for her. She wished that she wasn't the only one waitressing right now, because she really didn't want to deal with Rachel, especially now that the jealously she'd thought she'd gotten rid of was coming back.

"Hello, Lucas' girlfriend," Rachel said as she took a seat at the counter. She was looking Brooke over curiously.

"Hello, Rachel," Brooke said with forced modesty. "Can I get you something?"

"Vanilla latte to go," Rachel ordered briskly.

Brooke nodded as Rachel handed her the money and then turned around and to start on Rachel's order. She tried to ignore the redhead behind her, but from the corner of her eye she could see Rachel observing her quietly.

"So you work for Lucas' mom, huh?" Brooke couldn't help but notice the condescending tone in Rachel's voice, but she decided to ignore it and simply focus on making Rachel's drink.

"Yup."

A few more moments of silence passed before Rachel spoke again. "You'd think that Tree Hill would catch on to Starbucks by now, don't you? I mean, this is the only place I can find a decent latte around here and even then…well, no offence, but they aren't that great."

Brooke couldn't help but chuckle at this. "Believe me, I miss Starbucks too. When I first moved here, I almost died when I learned that the closest one was twenty minutes away."

"Completely ridiculous," Rachel agreed, shaking her head.

Brooke set Rachel's latte in front of her. "I hope this will do."

Rachel took a sip, shrugging as she then stood up. "I'll live."

Before Rachel could turn to leave, Brooke called her name. "Rachel."

She wasn't sure why she felt the need to do this, but somehow Brooke decided that maybe Rachel wasn't as bad as she seemed.

The redhead stopped in her tracks, looking at Brooke curiously.

"I just wanted to apologize for my behavior towards you the other night," Brooke said. "I didn't mean to come off that way. I guess you just caught me by surprise."

"That's understandable," Rachel said. "And I'd apologize for the way I acted too, but I'm kind of always like that so there's really no point."

Brooke laughed. "That's good to know."

"You'll get used to me eventually," Rachel continued. "Anyway, thanks for the latte. And for the record, it's actually relatively good. Better than Karen's at least."

"Well, thanks, I guess…"

"Alright, I'm off. Later." Rachel sent her a wave and then she was gone.

Rachel was definitely a character and although Brooke wasn't entirely sure if Rachel's attempt at conversation was completely sincere or not, she was happy that she and Rachel got along well enough. And what made Brooke even happier was that Rachel didn't appear at all flustered about Brooke's relationship with Lucas. Of course, Lucas wasn't really brought into the conversation, but Rachel seemed like she was the type of girl that wasn't afraid to speak her mind, so Brooke was sure that if Rachel had had anything to say about them, she would have.

She still couldn't help the small insecurities that came out in her at the sight of Rachel and she also still wasn't sure of Rachel's true intentions of returning to Tree Hill, but at least now she was now relatively okay with the idea of Rachel being back in town. There was still an uneasiness in the back of her mind, however, that told her that there was no way she could put any trust in Rachel just yet.

**888**

"Are they asleep?"

Brooke nodded tiredly as she took a seat next to Lucas on the couch. They were at Jake and Peyton's and after a hectic night of watching Jenny and Kate while Jake and Peyton went out, she'd finally managed to get them to bed.

Feeling his arm wrap around her shoulder, she leaned against him. "Did you really have to cave in and buy them that candy? They would have been in bed so much earlier if you hadn't."

"You try resisting the two of them," Lucas answered, although he did look guilty. "It's impossible."

"Oh, trust me, it's not. I do it everyday."

"I'm new at this, though. You've got to give me more time."

She chuckled, shaking her head. "Thanks for coming over tonight, though. Despite the fact that you loaded them up with sugar, you were a really big help."

"No problem. And I am sorry about the candy incident. I'm really working on being the authoritative figure instead of just a friend."

"You're doing a great job," she said as she rested her head on his chest. His fingers strung gently through her hair and she closed her eyes, relaxing completely.

"Thanks," he replied. "So when are Peyton and Jake coming home?"

"A couple of hours," she murmured.

"Hmm…"

She opened her eyes, looking up at him curiously. "_Hmm_ what?"

"Well, we've got a couple of hours all to ourselves," he said, grinning down at her. "What do you say we use our time wisely and go up to your room?"

His hands ran up and down her arm and she smiled in response. "I say that sounds like an excellent idea. But first…" She sat up, looking at him pointedly. "I've been meaning to talk to you about this all night, but with the two sugar high kids running around it was sort of impossible."

He cocked an eyebrow. "What's going on?"

"I talked to Rachel today."

"Really?" He looked surprised. "Did any sort of fight ensue?"

"No," Brooke said with a roll of her eyes, "we were perfectly civil. Actually, Rachel was pretty nice."

"_Nice_?" he asked with raised eyebrows.

"Well, she was just…_Rachel_, I guess. A little stuck up, but apparently that's just part of her personality."

"Yeah, it kind of is." He seemed perplexed by what Brooke was telling him, as if he didn't expect Rachel to be so friendly.

"So there was no arguing of any kind?" he asked.

"None," Brooke answered. "Did you expect there to be?"

"No, I didn't. I just…I didn't even know how she'd react to seeing you again. I thought she might be a little hostile, but it's good that she wasn't."

Her eyes narrowed. It seemed like Lucas knew something that he wasn't telling her. "Why'd you think that?"

"I talked to Nathan and Jake today and they seem to be convinced that Rachel's back here for me."

"Oh…" Her lips formed into a frown as she thought about his words. After talking to Rachel today, it really didn't seem like she was planning on trying anything with Lucas, but if Nathan and Jake thought otherwise than she was forced to rethink her opinion on Rachel once again. "Why do they think that?"

"Apparently Rachel's been asking a lot about me and you. I don't really know what that means, but Nathan and Jake are thinking the worst."

She leaned back in her seat, crossing her arms. She remained silent, not knowing what to say.

"I don't know what to think anymore," Lucas said with a sigh. "I do think I need to talk to her about it, though."

"You probably should," Brooke agreed.

"I'm glad you two talked, though," Lucas said, looking at her. "At least we know you both can get along."

"Yeah, well, I figured if since it seems like she'll be sticking around for a little while, it wouldn't be a good idea to make an enemy out of her. I don't think it would make anyone's lives easier if I did."

"That's true…"

"So." She stood up, a mischievous smile on her lips as she held out her hand. She was done with this whole Rachel ordeal for the night. Now she just wanted to relax with her boyfriend. "Are you ready to go upstairs?"

His lips twitched into an eager grin as he took her hand. "Definitely."

**888**

Lucas sighed as he took a seat on his couch. He lifted his feet onto the coffee table in front of him and closed his eyes, immediately relaxing. He'd been cooped up on his office most of the day working on his book and hadn't really done anything else, although he'd meant to go find Rachel to talk to her, but he hadn't managed to tear himself from his computer long enough to do so. Now Brooke was coming over and he was happy that he was finally getting his first full night alone with her since the night before he'd left for New York. He grinned; it was definitely going to be a good night if it was anything like that one.

The doorbell rang and a glance at the clock told him it was only six-thirty. Brooke has said she'd be there at seven. He shrugged it off, assuming she was early, but when he opened the door, it wasn't Brooke standing there.

"Hey, Rachel," he said curiously.

She smiled at him softly. "Hey, Luke."

"What's up?"

"I don't know…" She looked strange and he knew right away that something was up. "I was just hoping to talk, I guess."

Now probably wasn't the best time for that since Brooke would be at his house soon, but they needed to get this talk over with and so he let her in.

"Sure. I've been meaning to talk to you anyway."

"You have?"

He nodded as she followed him into the living room and they both sat down on the couch.

"Yeah, I think that there's some stuff we need to clear up."

Rachel looked confused, but didn't say anything to this. There was something off about her tonight. He didn't know what it was, but she just didn't look like the crazy Rachel he knew. Her eyes were oddly solemn and her smile seemed forced.

"Is something wrong?" He felt compelled to ask her that because he knew without a doubt that something had to be.

Rachel let out a heavy sigh. "I'm just tired."

"Tired of what?"

Rachel shrugged, not saying anything for a few seconds. "Everything."

There weren't many times that Rachel was so serious like this and so he knew that this was something he couldn't take lightly.

Putting a comforting hand on her leg, he looked her in the eye. "Are you happy with your life, Rachel?"

Her eyes darted away from him, settling on the ground. "No."

"Why?" he asked softly. He didn't want to push her, but it was pure instinct on his part to try to help her, to try to make sure she would be alright.

She didn't speak for a good minute and he waited patiently all the while.

"Do you want to know why I really came back?"

It was hard for him to contain his surprise; he wasn't expecting for her to come right out with the one thing he'd wanted to ask her. She was looking at him again, her eyes still somber and tired.

"If you want to tell me."

She paused again, eyes narrowing as she gathered her thoughts. "You just asked me if I'm happy with my life and I told you no, I'm not happy. And it's a little crazy because I _should _be happy. I've got a great job and a great apartment and more than enough money. I could have any guy I want and I just…I have all these _amazing_ opportunities and yet nothing excites me anymore. I get absolutely no satisfaction from any of that and it's like something is missing from my life. I mean, what's even the point of it all if I'm not happy?"

Rachel's eyes bore into his desperately, as if he could give her the answer to her problem, and in a way, he thought he could. Because he had been in her exact position once, not even that long ago.

"You know, I used to have the same problem."

She seemed surprised to hear that. "How'd you fix it?"

"Brooke."

There was really nothing else to it. Brooke had been exactly what he'd been looking for. She'd filled the void in his heart.

Rachel sat there and there was something in her eyes that told him she wasn't exactly thrilled to hear that.

"I came back to see if I could find whatever's been missing from my life," she told him.

"I hope you'll find it here," he said. "But don't give up if you don't. Sometimes you've just got to be patient and sit back and wait for whatever is missing to find you. I spent the past two years searching for it, but I never found it. Then I came home and the love that I'd been missing found me when I was least expecting it."

Rachel nodded slowly, but it seemed like that wasn't what she wanted to hear. She needed more comfort, but he wasn't sure what else to tell her other than that she just had to wait it out. She'd find that something or someone someday, he had no doubt about that.

Before he could tell her just that, she turned to him, her eyes narrowed in determination.

"I need to know something, Lucas."

He stared at her in confusion. "What?"

She didn't say anything and then her hands were cupping his cheeks and she was pulling his face towards hers. Her lips were on his a second later and it happened so fast that it took him a second to grasp the situation. But when he did, he immediately pushed her away.

He felt like an idiot. She'd done exactly what Nathan and Jake told him she'd do; exactly what he'd said that she _wouldn't_ do. And even though he felt for her and the struggle she was going through, it wasn't an excuse.

He opened his mouth, frustration evident in his eyes, but just before he spoke his eyes caught sight of another figure standing a few feet behind Rachel. Pure shock was written across her face and his eyes widened as he realized what this must have looked like.

"Brooke," he cried, jumping up from the couch.

The look on her face shifted quickly from shock to anger and then to a heartbreaking pain. He rushed over to her, but she backed away, shaking her head.

"That wasn't what it looked like." She had to understand that he would _never _do this to her. He'd never hurt her like this. But Brooke continued backing away, the pain etched all over her face almost too much for him to bear. "Please, Brooke, you have to believe me."

She shook her head again and then she was outside and running to her car and he followed her, begging for her to listen. This was going so wrong. He couldn't believe that Rachel had achieved exactly what he'd promised Brooke she wouldn't—she was coming between them and he hated it more than anything in the world.

"Brooke!" he called out in desperation as she slid into her car. The engine purred and he barely had time to knock on her window before she pulled out of the driveway. The car speeded away and he was left standing there, fists clenched, as he groaned in frustration. This couldn't be happening.

Slowly, he turned around. Rachel stood guiltily at the doorway and he wanted so badly to run up there, shake her senseless and ask her how she dared to think she could ever kiss him. She had no right and now she could be ruining everything he'd created with Brooke.

But he needed to follow Brooke before he could even think about yelling at Rachel. There was no way he would let things stay this way for long. Rachel might have been messing with their relationship now, but she wouldn't be for long. He'd make sure of it.

* * *

**A/N: **Please don't kill me! I know that the kiss was horrible and I'm sure most of you didn't want to see that happen, but it's been planned for awhile and let's face it, things couldn't be perfect with Brooke and Lucas forever. All I can say is don't worry. Things will get better.

Anyway, I really want to know what you all think so please review! And thanks to everyone who's been reviewing! You're all awesome and I can assure you that I would never have continued this story without all your support!


	16. Aftermath

**Aftermath**

It was slightly ironic that Brooke had spent a good amount of time since Rachel's return agonizing over whether or not the redhead would try anything with Lucas, when she'd actually been quite positive nothing would happen between Lucas and his ex-girlfriend. The idea of it was there and it didn't do anything to ease Brooke's worries about Rachel, but in reality she'd never thought that something would actually happen between Lucas and Rachel. She'd trusted Lucas completely and that was why she'd known without a doubt that even if Rachel tried something, Lucas would never let her actually go through with it.

So why did Lucas have to go and prove Brooke wrong?

That was what she kept asking herself as she speeded home after finding Lucas and Rachel in a more than compromising position. He'd done exactly what she trustedhe wouldn't and she was kicking herself for putting so much faith in him. She should have known this would happen. The moment she laid eyes on Rachel, she knew it would be hard for any guy to resist her and just because Lucas was _her _guy didn't mean he'd be any different.

By the time she arrived at her house, it was hard for her to see through the tears that she'd unsuccessfully kept from spilling down her face. She jumped out of her car and when she got inside she slipped past a confused Jake and made her way up the stairs. She heard Kate call for her as she strode past her daughter and Jenny's room, but she didn't have the strength to deal with Kate right now. Slamming the door shut, she flung herself onto her bed, digging her tear-streaked face into her pillow.

What she needed to do now was think and that was something she needed to do that alone. She needed to completely process the situation and figure out if she might have been overreacting. In a way, she knew she was. She'd seen exactly what happened. Rachel had initiated the kiss and after Lucas had had a chance to get over the shock of it, he'd gently pushed her off of him. It had all been on Rachel's part; that was obvious. But then why did it still bother her so much?

It was probably because, no matter who kissed who, the fact of the matter was that her boyfriend was kissing his very attractive ex-girlfriend and that brought out the worst of Brooke's insecurities. She'd trusted Lucas not to let Rachel get to him. She'd believed that he would never allow Rachel to inch herself back into his life. Not for one moment had she doubted him. She'd doubted Rachel, yes, but never him. And yet Rachel _had _gotten close to him again and Lucas himself had let her do so, even if he'd never intended for anything to happen, and by doing that, he'd broken his promise to Brooke—that he'd never let anything happen between himself and Rachel, that she didn't have anything to worry about.

After spending her high school days going through strings of horrible boyfriends, she'd learned not to expect too much from men. Lucas was different, though. He was in a league of his own and for that, Brooke knew he was trustworthy. She'd never imagined him proving her wrong. That had changed the moment she saw his lips on Rachel's, though. She didn't care what the circumstances where— there was nothing worse than seeing the man she loved kissing another woman. It had stung her more than she'd ever imagined it could.

The sound of a car door slamming pulled her out of her thoughts. She heard a knock on the front door downstairs and then the sound of the door opening. She knew who was there and in a way she was glad to hear his voice as he talked to Jake on the porch. She loved him despite all this and she would never stop. That didn't change the fact that she still needed some time to herself to figure this whole situation out because, whether they liked it or not, Rachel _had _come between them and that couldn't be ignored.

Flipping onto her back, Brooke stared at the ceiling and tried to decipher Lucas and Jake's conversation. It was no use, though; she could just barely hear them through the small crack in her window. A knock on her own door sounded, but Brooke made no move to get up.

"Brooke?" It was Peyton. "What's going on?"

There were other murmurings outside the door and, at the sound of her daughter's voice, Brooke could tell that Peyton was ushering Kate away from the door and back down the hall. Thinking of Kate did nothing to make her feel better. She had no idea how she'd explain this situation to her daughter.

"Can I come in?"

Brooke lifted her head from the bed to find Peyton poking her head through the door, looking concerned. Nodding slowly, Brooke scooted aside to allow room for Peyton.

"Are you okay?" Peyton asked as she laid next to Brooke. Brooke shrugged, wiping away at the tears that still fell down her cheek. Peyton wrapped an arm around her, holding her close. "Lucas is outside," she continued. "He seems really upset. What exactly happened between you two?"

Brooke let out a heavy sigh. "I caught him and Rachel at his house earlier. They were kissing."

Peyton's eyes widened in horror. "Are you kidding?"

"I wish I was."

There was a moment of complete silence before Peyton stood up, her eyes narrowed dangerously. "I'm gonna kill him."

Before Peyton could do anything else, Brooke reached for her wrist, pulling her back down onto the bed.

"Rachel was the one who initiated the kiss," Brooke clarified. No matter how angry Brooke was with him right now, she knew it wouldn't be fair to let Lucas take all the blame. "He pushed her off of him almost right away."

"Oh…" Peyton sat there thoughtfully. "Okay…" She put a hand on Brooke's leg, giving her a sympathetic look. "It still sucks, doesn't it?" she said with a sad smile.

"Yeah, it does."

"I'm still slightly tempted to kill Lucas."

"If you really want to kill someone, kill Rachel."

"No problem," Peyton said with a chuckle. "Just give me like a half hour and everything should be taken care of."

It was obvious that Peyton was trying to cheer her up and she supposed it was working a little because a small smile came to her lips. Resting her head on Peyton's shoulder, she let out a soft sigh.

"Maybe you should talk to him. I mean, if he didn't want anything to do with Rachel, then you can easily forgive him right?"

"Of course I can forgive him," Brooke said despondently. "It's not even his fault, really. It's just…" She sighed again, closing her eyes. "I just need time to think everything over, okay? I don't want to see him right now."

"Okay," Peyton said, nodding, "that's understandable. Do you want to talk to me about it, though?"

She paused for a moment, but decided to confide in her best friend. "I guess I'm just angry with Rachel for knowingly coming between us and I'm angry at Lucas for letting her."

"But did he have any way of knowing that she was going to kiss him?"

"Everyone, including your husband, seemed to think Rachel was back for Lucas. Lucas should have known better than to let her get to him so easily."

"You're probably right," Peyton agreed. "But don't you think that you should maybe cut him some slack? I don't know Lucas incredibly well, but from I've seen, he seems like a really trusting guy. Maybe he just put a little too much trust in Rachel and it backfired on him."

Brooke was frustrated. She just wanted to be angry with Lucas for a little while, yet Peyton was making it increasingly hard by justifying everything he did. It didn't change the fact that she still wasn't ready to see him, though. "Peyton, can we please nottalk about this anymore? I just need some time to think."

"Sure."

Brooke slipped down on the bed, laying on her back. Peyton laid next to her and they both stared blankly up at the ceiling.

"Brooke?"

Brooke turned her head to look at Peyton. "Yeah?"

"I'm sorry about saying that you were overreacting about all this the other day. I should have been more supportive."

She patted Peyton's hand. "You were supportive, Peyton. You just didn't want me to worry over something that was more than likely nothing. But you know that sad part? There was a big part of me that agreed with you. I thought I was overreacting too, that Lucas would never let anything happen between him and Rachel. I guess I was wrong."

"I wish you weren't," Peyton murmured.

Brooke took a long breath. "Me too."

**888**

This wasn't how things were supposed to happen. Rachel was never supposed to come between him and Brooke like this and it made him so angry to know that she had.

While driving to Jake and Peyton's house, Lucas had come to the conclusion that this was entirely his fault. He'd gone against Nathan and Jake's advice and let his guard down around Rachel and in return his ex-girlfriend had done exactly what everyone had thought she was here to do. The fact that this could have prevented if he'd simply been more guarded around Rachel infuriated him.

But he still needed to explain everything to Brooke. He was almost certain she'd seen him push Rachel away from him. She had to know that he would have never let Rachel kiss him. And if she didn't, then he needed to tell her and he needed to tell her as soon as possible.

He was glad to see her car parked outside the house when arrived. He got out of his car, walking determinedly towards the front door, and knocked as patiently as he could. Jake answered almost right away and it was obvious that his friend was both aggravated and confused. Before Lucas could say anything, Jake slipped onto the porch, shutting the door and standing in front of it.

"What the hell did you do to Brooke?" Jake was now more angry than anything.

Lucas shook his head in frustration, unsure how to explain everything. Jake was going to kill him no matter what, he was sure of that.

"Rachel kissed me," he said, "and Brooke saw it."

In a matter of seconds, Jake's face turned from surprise to anger and then to complete fury. Lucas just turned his head away, in no mood for Jake's oncoming lecture. He just wanted to talk to Brooke and get this whole situation figured out. He needed her to know that the kiss meant nothing, that he was so sorry he'd trusted Rachel and that, if it meant anything, he never even wanted to see Rachel again.

"Way to go, Lucas," Jake said, his voice rising dangerously. "Were you not listening to me and Nathan the other day?"

"Listen to me, Jake," Lucas said, trying desperately to hide his frustration, "Rachel kissed _me_. I pushed her off the moment I got over the shock of it. I didn't kiss her back, I didn't even _want _kiss her. You've got to believe me, Jake."

Jake's face softened slightly as he took in Lucas' words. They stood there in silence for a few moments before Jake spoke again.

"I don't know how everything went down, but I know that you'd never initiate any sort of kiss with Rachel. I'm not going to lecture you on trusting Rachel, because I think you know by now that that was a mistake, but I do know that you'd never intentionally hurt Brooke like this."

"You know I wouldn't," Lucas said. "She's my world."

"I know and that's why I'm going to stick by you on this. I think you should talk to her and figure all this out."

Lucas smiled in relief as Jake stepped aside, opening the door and allowing Lucas to enter. He wasn't prepared to find Kate sitting on the bottom of the stairs next to Jenny. Jake quietly ushered Jenny into the living room, leaving him and Kate alone. Kate's eyes were full of questions as she looked up at him. She looked both confused and, in the short time he'd known her, Lucas had never seen Kate so somber.

"Why is my mom crying?"

He stood there, trying to figure out how he could possibly answer that question, and his heart broke as he realized that Kate already seemed to know that he was the reason behind her mother's tears. Kate seemed to be under the impression that he could do no wrong and yet now he'd done the worst thing he could possibly do in her young eyes— he'd hurt her mother. And that killed him.

"Kate…" He knelt down so that he was eyelevel with her and now she looked at him hopefully, as if he was going to prove her wrong and tell her that he was in no way related to her mother's crying. But he couldn't tell her that, no matter how much he wished he could, because it would be a lie.

"Lucas."

His eyes left Kate's face to find Peyton standing at the top of the stairs. He glanced back at Kate one last time before climbing the stairs two at a time to meet Peyton at the top.

"She says she doesn't want to see you right now," Peyton said softly.

He was expecting this, but he couldn't go down without a fight. "Peyton, please, I need to explain everything to her."

"She saw what happened," Peyton said, still appearing calm and in no way angry with him, something he was grateful for. "She knows that Rachel kissed you and not the other way around."

"Then why doesn't she want to see me?" he asked, defeated.

"Because she just needs some time alone to think everything over."

He ran his hand through his hair in frustration, his eyes trailing behind Peyton and to the door at the end of the hall—the one Brooke was behind. He was so close to her and yet there didn't seem to be any chance of him seeing her tonight. He didn't want to force Brooke to speak with him if she didn't want to, though. He'd messed up enough as it was. He'd give her time; he just hoped that she wouldn't need too much because he was dying not being able to see her.

"Okay," he gave in. "But, Peyton…" He looked at the blonde seriously, needing her to know how important this was to him. "Please just... tell her that I'm sorry… and that I love her."

"She knows that," Peyton said, smiling softly at him, "but I'll tell her anyway."

"Thank you."

He glanced back down the stairs, but Kate was no longer in sight and he assumed that she was with Jake and Jenny in the living room.

"I don't think Brooke wants Kate to know what happened," Peyton said, catching onto his thoughts, "so why don't you just slip out and Jake and I will make sure she's okay."

He nodded slowly and, even though he hated to leave things with both Kate and Brooke this way, he quietly made his way downstairs and out the door.

As he got in his car, he was tempted to drive over to Mouth's and give Rachel a piece of his mind, but he decided that he was just too angry too deal with her right now. Shouting never got him anywhere, especially when it came to Rachel, and so he'd deal with her later.

The only thing on his mind now, though, was Brooke, and there was no way he'd be able to stop thinking of her until he knew how she was really doing. He wanted to speak with her so badly, to apologize for the pain he'd caused her, and he just hoped that she wouldn't push him away for too long because, until he spoke with her, he would be nothing but a mess.

**888**

Brooke laid on her bed, the covers pulled up around her. It was dark now and she'd been cooped up in her bedroom for the last few hours, lost in her thoughts. She was past the crying stage now; once she'd grasped that there was no way that Lucas was interested in Rachel at all romantically, she'd decided that it was pointless to drown herself in tears over the fact that another girl had kissed her boyfriend. He'd wanted no part in the kiss, he'd proven that to her when he pushed Rachel off of him, and by doing that, he'd also proven that he was completely devoted to Brooke—and that was why she wouldn't cry anymore.

Now she was just angry, mostly with Rachel and perhaps just a little bit with Lucas, if only for the fact that he'd put too much trust in Rachel. Thinking back to her talk with Rachel at the café the previous day, it infuriated her to think that Rachel had the nerve to even attempt to be friendly with Brooke. Just when Brooke had started to think that her first impressions of Rachel had been wrong, the redhead had proven herself to be the bitch that Brooke had thought she was.

The door to her room creeped open and Brooke sat up, expecting to see Peyton again. She was surprised to see Kate standing there instead. Brooke smiled weakly as her daughter looked at her uncertainly,and beckoned her forward. Almost immediately, Brooke knew that Kate wasn't exactly clueless about what was going on. She wondered if Lucas told her anything. She hoped not; she didn't want Kate's image of him to be tainted by Rachel's selfish actions.

Kate climbed onto the bed and Brooke pulled her daughter into her arms, holding her close to her. Falling back onto the bed, they both laid on their sides, and Kate stared into Brooke's eyes.

"Why are you so sad, Mommy?"

The way Kate said it made Brooke want to cry; she was so obviously concerned for her and also incredibly confused.

"I'm not sad, baby," she said as she sent Kate a smile.

"It looks like you are," her daughter murmured softly.

There was no point in lying to Kate, but Brooke still didn't know what to tell her.

"Okay, I am. But only a little…"

"Are you sad because of Lucas?"

Brooke took a deep breath, pulling Kate closer to her body, and Kate cuddled against her chest. She didn't answer, not because she didn't know what to say, but because she didn't want to. Kate wouldn't have ever understood anyway.

"Are you and Lucas gonna break up?"

She pulled away slightly, looking at Kate in surprise. She was even more surprised to see the tears in Kate's eyes as her daughter looked up at her in obvious fear of the answer.

"Of course not, honey," Brooke said, looking Kate right in the eyes. There was no way that she would end things with Lucas over this.

"Then why won't you talk to him?"

There wasn't an easy answer to that question. The truth was, she was avoiding him until she knew she would be able to handle the situation without looking weak. She didn't want to make it seem like the kiss had affected her as much as it did, when it reality it had hurt her more than she thought possible. Instead, she just told her daughter what she'd been telling everyone else.

"Because I need to spend a little time away from Lucas right now, just to get my mind settled."

Kate didn't seem convinced with that answer; she just continued staring at Brooke uncertainly.

"You'll talk to him soon, won't you?"

"Yes," Brooke said, smiling comfortingly at her.

"Soon?"

Brooke nodded. "Probably tomorrow."

"And everything's going to be okay then?"

That was a question she'd been asking herself every day lately. She knew that there was going to be a lot of issues that she and Lucas needed to deal with and, until they did, she couldn't see everything just magically going back to normal. But would everything actually be okay? All she could say to that was she hoped so. She wanted to give Kate a better answer than that, though. Her daughter needed to know that Lucas wasn't going anywhere and that everything would work out between them.

"Yes," she said, wrapping her arms around her daughter tightly, "everything will be just fine."

* * *

**A/N: **I was happy to see that most of you enjoyed last chapter despite the ending. But what can I say? Brucas needed the drama and Rachel was a perfect opportunity. Don't worry though, Brooke and Lucas will start dealing with it together soon.

I wanted to let you all know that this story actually only has a few chapters left now. I was planning for it to have 20 chapters and now it seems like it might be only 19, but we'll see. Either way, it's almost over. I have to say, though, that I think the ending is going to be the best part of the story (hopefully :D), so I think that, even though it'll be sad to see it end, it'll be good. Plus, finishing this story also gives me more time to focus on my other story, which is a little more complicated than this one and needs the extra attention in order to be more than just decent.

Anyway, thanks so much to everyone for reading and please remember to review!

**Lena: **I'm so, so happy that you liked last chapter! I thought you'd be one of those people who wanted to kill me for the kiss, but it's good to know that you weren't completely opposed to it. Like I said, it's good drama ;). Plus, he didn't kiss her back, so it wasn't as a huge a deal as it could have been. You said in your review that you wanted Brooke to push Lucas away at first, and that's what I was planning to do (you and I seem to think a lot alike :D) so I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	17. In Too Deep

**In Too Deep**

"How are you doing?"

Lucas just shrugged at Haley's question. He wasn't doing great, if he was being honest. He still couldn't believe how badly he screwed up things with Brooke. Just one moment had changed the whole dynamic of their relationship.

Sighing, he took a long sip of his coffee just as Nathan entered the kitchen.

"You look like crap."

Lucas didn't even bother looking up from his drink to glare at his brother, probably because Nathan was right. But he didn't care right now. It didn't matter that he'd barely slept last night or that he'd spent the majority of his morning staring at his phone, waiting for Brooke to call. He'd gone to Jake and Peyton's earlier that morning and Peyton had sent him away, telling him that Brooke would come to him, not the other way around, and he couldn't argue. He didn't have that right as of yesterday.

"Nathan, stop giving Lucas a hard time," Haley said from the kitchen sink. "He's been through enough."

"He brought it on himself," Nathan said, his voice indifferent.

Nathan hadn't exactly been sympathetic when he heard what happened and Lucas was pretty sure that it wasn't because he'd taken sides, but rather because Lucas hadn't listened to his advice from earlier. And Nathan always did love to throw things in Lucas' face.

Haley moved over to Lucas, putting an arm around him and squeezing his shoulders softly. Lucas smiled weakly at her, wordlessly thanking her for her support.

"Lucas didn't kiss Rachel," Haley said matter-of-factly, "she kissed him. So stop acting like he's to blame."

"I _am_ to blame..." Lucas mumbled, his head falling onto the counter tiredly.

"No, Haley's right, you're probably not. I just think if you'd listened to me and Jake earlier, this whole incident could have been avoided."

Lucas closed his eyes. "I agree."

And then Haley slapped him hard on the neck and his head shot up in confusion. It was amazing how one moment Haley was coddling him like a child and the next she was making him search his body for bruises.

"Ow."

"You guys, this is _Rachel _we're talking about. She's always been able to weasel her way into just about anyone's life and, since Lucas has always been particularly vulnerable to her, she knew that he would be easy to take advantage of. So, Luke, stop blaming yourself, because it's not gonna get you anywhere."

"But I _am _partly to blame. I could have stayed away from her. I didn't have to let her in the house. But I did and that was my fault."

"Okay, so maybe it was, but do you really think there's a point in making yourself go crazy over it?"

"Until Brooke forgives me, yes."

A long, heavy sigh escaped his mouth as he massaged his temples. He really was exhausted and Haley was right, he was definitely making himself go crazy.

"Lucas..." Haley was back to her motherly mode as she tipped his head so that he was looking right at her. She sent him a comforting smile."You and Brooke are gonna be fine."

"But how do you know?"

"Because you two need each other. You're a mess without her and she's a mess without you. The way I see it, there's no way either of you can go back to life without each other now. You're in too deep."

Haley was right. There was no way that he could live without Brooke now that he had her in his life. This situation with Rachel had once again proved that to him. He and Brooke had simply hit a small roadblock with Rachel, but they would get through it. They had to. Because if they didn't, then there was no way he'd ever be able to really live again.

**888**

He watched as the ball flew right into the net, landing with a thud onto the pavement. That was the first shot Lucas had made in the last hour he'd been at the Rivercourt and he probably wouldn't be making more anytime soon.

Picking up the ball, he held it in his hands, staring at it blankly. He was hoping for something to distract him from Brooke, but nothing was working. Basketball used to always be able to take him away from the real world and clear his mind, but not anymore. Not now that he had Brooke in his life. Because she was the most important part of his world now and if things with her weren't right, then nothing else in his life mattered.

Forcing himself to think of anything but Brooke, he focused on the hoop again and tried to make another shot. It didn't go in, but he'd gotten used to that.

"Well, you pretty much suck now."

He whipped around at the sound of the voice behind him, hoping that Brooke had come to find him, but was more than disappointed as he saw Rachel standing there, hands behind her back, smiling weakly at him. Eyes narrowing, he took a step back from her. He wasn't happy with her. Not at all. And if she thought she could come here and suck up to him, she was sorely mistaken.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, his tone so full of bitterness that Rachel visibly cringed.

"I saw you playing from the road," she said meekly. He could tell that she was feeling guilty and he was glad because that was exactly how she should be feeling. "I was hoping we could talk."

"That's what you said last night. You just wanted to _talk._ But I guess talking and shoving your tongue down someone's throat have always gone hand and hand with you, huh?"

Her face twisted up in remorse as she took a step closer to him, but he just backed away from her, shaking his head. "Just go, Rachel. I don't want to see you again."

"Please, Lucas." She sounded desperate and he wondered why she wanted his forgiveness so badly. "I never meant to come between you and Brooke."

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, then you probably shouldn't have kissed me."

"I just..." She sighed, shaking her head. "I need you to listen to me, okay?"

"No, Rachel. I'm done listening to you."

He turned away from her, walking towards his car. He wasn't going to let Rachel continue to mess with him.

"_Please,_" she called after him. And then she grabbed onto his arm and he whirled back around, glaring at her as he flung her hand off.

"Don't touch me."

"I'm sorry, Lucas," she said, tears building up in his eyes. She had to be serious; Rachel didn't cry often. "I'm so, so sorry. I had absolutely no right to do what I did and I know that nothing I say can ever get you to trust me again, but I've lost too many friends as it is and I can't lose you. I'll go to Brooke if you want. I'll tell her that it was all me, that you didn't want anything to do with the kiss. I'll do anything to make things right between you both. I just don't want to lose you. I care about you too much."

"If you cared about me, you wouldn't have kissed me," he said, but this time he spoke resignedly and his gaze softened.

"Well, you know I've always had an odd way of showing people I care."

She was attempting to get a laugh out of him, but he just stood there, hands still gripping on to his basketball, eyes narrowed.

"Can I at least try to explain to you why I did what I did?"

"I don't think it will make much of a difference."

"But can I?"

Heaving a frustrated sigh, he nodded stiffly. He just hoped he wasn't making a huge mistake.

"Before I kissed you, you told me that you used to have this void in your heart. You were unhappy, even though you were so successful, and you felt like you were looking for something to fill that void and make you happy. And that's how I feel now. But then you told me that you found Brooke and she filled that void. And then something just came over me and I started to wonder if it was _you_ who was missing from my life. So I kissed you, hoping that that could answer my question."

He kept his face unreadable, not wanting her to think that she was getting to him again.

"And did it?"

"Yes," she said, nodding slowly. "I didn't feel anything. No spark, no emotion. Nothing. I was just as empty as before."

He felt bad for her, he really did, and he believed her too, but he still wasn't sure he could let her just slide by for this. Because he wasn't just thinking of Brooke now. This was about his trust in Rachel, which she'd once again broken. She'd let him down too many times to count and he wasn't going to give her that chance again.

"I get it," he murmured, looking right at her, "and I'm glad you didn't feel anything for me because I think that would have just put the final nail in the coffin of our friendship, but I'm not sure that changes where we stand right now."

She nodded slowly, taking in his words. "This isn't just about what I did to you and Brooke now, is it?"

"No, it isn't." He was glad she was seeing the bigger picture now. "Brooke and I...we'll be okay. We love each other too much to let something like this ruin us. But what you did yesterday... you basically proved me wrong _again _to all of my friends. I trusted you when no one else did, just like I did in high school, and you went and screwed that up. Again. Coming back here could have given our friendship a new start, Rachel, but you ruined that."

"I know." Her eyes fell to the pavement and he saw the tears in her eyes again. "And that's something I'm going to regret the rest of my life."

He didn't like seeing her like this. It didn't matter how frustrated with her he was, seeing her this vulnerable just wasn't right to him. His face softened and when she looked back up at him again, he gave her a gentle smile.

"I'm gonna give you some advice, okay? And it's exactly what I told you last night, but I have a feeling you weren't really listening, so I'll say it again. I want you to stop trying to find whatever it is you're looking for, because searching got me absolutely nowhere. I literally searched the world, Rachel, and I couldn't find anything. Then, one day, I just stopped looking, and a few days later, Brooke found me. And I'm not saying that that's what's going to happen to you because it probably won't happen right away, but I guarantee if you just stop searching, whatever it is you're looking for will find you."

Rachel's lips twitched into a small smile. "I kind of wish I'd have listened to you last night."

"Yeah, that probably would have been a good idea."

There was an awkward pause that passed before she spoke again. "Do you think that there's any hope for us to be friends again?"

He didn't know how to answer that. He thought there might be, but only time would tell. Rachel wasn't doing too well, though, and it was obvious that she needed friends now more than ever. He was glad that she had Mouth— the only person besides himself who'd gotten close to Rachel in high school— and he knew that Mouth would take care of her, but she needed more than that. So, while he couldn't guarantee that their friendship would heal over night, he decided to give her that she she was asking for— some hope.

"Maybe..."

She just nodded, still smiling. "Thanks, Luke."

**888**

Brooke really wasn't sure when it happened, but at some point that afternoon, something just snapped within her and she decided that she was done avoiding Lucas. There was really no point anymore. She knew she would forgive him and that they would work through the situation together. And that was all that mattered.

"I thought I was picking up the girls from school," Peyton said in confusion as Brooke came darting down the stairs. She wasn't going to let this feeling that she had to get to Lucas pass. If she did, she might spend another night avoiding him and drowning in her sorrows and she definitely didn't want that.

"I'm going to see Lucas," Brooke said, whipping past Peyton and picking up her car keys from the kitchen counter.

"About time," was all she heard Peyton say before she was out the door and in her car.

As she drove, she felt even better about going to see Lucas. She really couldn't let this situation go on much longer because, whether she was angry with Lucas or not, she hated not being with him.

They'd never been in a fight before. Not even a little one. Well, actually, they'd gotten in a couple arguments before, but they were too trivial to even remember. She supposed now that their relationship had been too good to be true before. It was inevitable that they'd end up fighting at some point. She just wished that it hadn't had to happen like this.

But she was moving forward and she wasn't going to push him away anymore than she already had.

Instead of calling him and asking him where he was, she just went straight to his house, assuming he'd be there. When she got there, though, she was surprised to find that he wasn't. Picking up her phone, she punched in his number. He didn't answer.

There was only one place that Lucas left his phone out of arm's reach and that was at the Rivercourt. So that was where she went. He'd be there, probably thinking about her just as much as she was thinking about him. And he was probably brooding too. For Lucas, basketball and brooding went hand and hand. She smiled at that; she missed her broody boy.

She just needed to be with him, feel his arms around her and his lips against her. That was all she needed. And she wasn't ever going to give that up. Not for anything.

But then pulled up to court and it felt like deja vu— Lucas was definitely there, but so was Rachel. The redhead was standing in front of Lucas, who was listening to her speak, his face surprisingly soft. And that just set her off. But she wasn't going to run this time. No, this time, they were both going to feel her fury.

The moment she slammed the car door, Lucas twisted around. His face lit up at the sight of her, but fell when he saw her own face. She wasn't happy with him and she was making sure that he knew that. And he did. Rachel, she was glad to see, looked slightly bewildered to see Brooke there.

"I can't even _believe_ this," she said as she stormed up to them. Lucas looked absolutely horrified and rightfully so. He couldn't even say a word as she rooted herself in front of him, glaring daggers at him. "You are an _ass_." She thrust her finger at his chest at each word, while he stood there, dumbstruck. "Not even twenty-four hours after she jumps you, you're just letting her right back into your arms. God, do you _want _to ruin us?"

"No!" Now he finally seemed to be coming to his senses and she was glad because she really wanted him to give him to giver he a good explanation of what was going on. "Brooke, Rachel came here to see me, to tell me she was sorry. I didn't do anything wrong!"

That _wasn't _what she wanted to hear and he seemed to realize his mistake a second later.

"I can't deal with you right now," she said, glaring at him. And she was doing it again. Walking away. But she _hated _that, after all that had happened last night, Lucas and Rachel seemed so friendly with each other.

With that, she turned her back on him, eyes set on her car as she strode towards it. He was so daft when it came to girls, it was almost crazy.

"Brooke, wait," he called and soon he was right there next to her, grabbing her hand. "Just listen to me, please."

She pulled her hand from his, but stood still and faced him. Her gaze latched onto his and he stared seriously into her eyes, his own eyes narrowed in determination.

"What you saw back there was basically me telling Rachel that I probably would never be able to trust her again and that there wasn't a lot of hope of us being friends again. I wasn't welcoming her back into my life with open arms, Brooke. You have to believe me."

She did want to believe him and she was sure that in some ways she did, but last night had shaken her up so badly and now, seeing him with Rachel again, it just brought back the fears she had of Rachel taking him away again.

Taking a deep breath, she finally looked away from him. She didn't know what to say. She wanted to tell him that she still needed more time to think, but that would get her absolutely nowhere because she would come to the same conclusion that she had last night— that she loved him and would never stop and that she knew he felt the same way. So she remained silent, because, even though she could admit that all to herself, she wasn't ready to let him off the hook just yet.

"Brooke..." His hands cupped her cheeks and she slowly looked back up at him. He was staring into her eyes longingly and she knew he was hoping that she'd understand, that she'd believe him. And she did. She did understand. And even if she didn't, she was so completely in love with him that it didn't even matter. "I love you. And out of the billions of people in this world, you're the _only_ one I could ever love. There is no one else for me. So I need you to believe me when I say that I will _never_ let something or someone come between us again."

A moment of silent passed and then she spoke.

"I believe you."

His lips twitched into a small smile and there was so much hope in his eyes.

"I'm so sorry," he murmured as his hands fell to her hips. "About everything. I've never felt so horrible about something in my life."

"I know." She let herself fall into his embrace and tucked her head underneath his chin.

"It didn't mean anything," he continued. "I was just so taken by surprise and it took me a second to realize what was happening, but when I did..."

"Luke, I know," she said again, pulling away from him so that she was looking right at him. "I know and I'm okay with it."

"You are?"

"Well, maybe I'm not completely okay with the actual kissing part, but I saw you push her away and I know that it didn't mean anything to you."

"I didn't," he said, smiling gently at her. "And no kiss will ever mean anything to me unless it's with you. There's no one else for me."

She was smiling now too. "So you've told me many times before."

"Only because it's true." He pulled her back into his arms, kissing the top of her head. "I love you so much, Pretty Girl."

She dug her face into his chest, smiling subconsciously at his words. She'd never tire of him saying that. "I love you too."

It was when she lifted her head up to kiss him that she noticed Rachel standing awkwardly a few feet behind them. Lucas, noticing Brooke's gaze, turned to look at her.

"I'm sorry," Rachel said, looking at them both guiltily, "I just couldn't leave without apologizing to you, Brooke. I know that what I did was horrible and I don't expect you to forgive me, but I just want you to know that I will never come between you and Lucas again. I can promise you that."

She wasn't sure what to say to that. Honestly, she hadn't imagined Rachel would even dare stick around after what had just happened, let alone apologize. And Rachel seemed sincere too, something that she couldn't ignore. But could she forgive her? Not yet. When she forgave someone, she meant it, and she just wasn't ready to forgive Rachel.

So instead she simply nodded. "Thank you."

Rachel sent both her and Lucas a small smile and then turned to leave. Watching her go, Brooke felt an overwhelming wave of relief wash over her. She and Lucas were okay. Everything was fine, just like she'd said it would be. And she actually believed that Rachel wouldn't come between them again. Whether Rachel actually tried to or not didn't matter because she knew that Lucas would never allow it again. She trusted him completely.

She and Lucas faced each other again. His hands latched onto hers as he smiled sweetly down at her. She could see the clear love he had for her in his eyes and she was sure that she was looking at him the same way. Bending his head down to hers, his nose tickled hers.

"So are we good?" he asked.

"We're good."

His smile widened and then his lips were on hers. She could never get used to how amazing it felt to kiss him. She'd kissed her fair share of guys, but none of even the most passionate ones could have possibly ever compared to this. It was so simple, but so sweet and tender and filled with his love for her. She still found it amazing how just a simple kiss could show her just how much he loved her.

And when they both pulled away and she rested her head on his shoulder, he just held her in his arms, letting silence envelope them. They didn't need words to express their love for each other. It was just a part of them, everyday, every second, and it would be there for the rest of their life.

* * *

**A/N: **I hope this chapter was worth the wait! There are officially two chapters left of this story, one of which will be the epilogue. I'm probably going to work on not exactly a sequel to this story, but more of a long oneshot that will basically be an epilogue to the epilogue. I've already started writing it too, so it's not just something I _might _do, but something I will do. So, even though this story is coming to a close, you'll still have something to look forward too.

Thanks to everyone for your reviews last chapter! Keep them coming ;D!

**Lena: **I have to say that your review last chapter is what got me to start writing that oneshot I mentioned above. I will tell you that this story isn't going to end with Brooke and Lucas having a kid, but you'll see a lot more more of their future in the oneshot (and it just might include them having a kid ;D) and I think it's gonna be really cute. Like I said, it's not going to be a multi-chaptered story or anything, but I think it will be enough to please you all. I hope so, at least. But thank you for mentioning that in your review, because it's definitely helped motivate me to write something up for you all!


	18. Forever

**Forever**

It seemed like they'd been standing on the basketball court for hours, simply tucked away in each others arms, and Lucas would've loved to stay there even longer if it wasn't for the fact that it was starting to rain.

They pulled apart, his hands still holding onto hers, and, as the rain slid down their faces, he wordlessly motioned over towards his car. He found it impossible for his hand to leave hers as they ran to the car and, as they jumped into it, his fingers squeezed hers, offering the reassurance that he would always be there.

They drove in a comfortable silence, his hand stroking hers, and, every now and then when he would glance over at her, she was always smiling. He was smiling too. Brooke had the power to keep him smiling until it felt like his lips were going to fall off.

"So," he said, finally breaking the silence, "I left Kate pretty confused last night. How is she?"

"She's still confused, but as long as she sees us happy and together, she probably won't ask any more questions."

He still felt horrible about the way he had left things with Kate and Brooke obviously sensed that. She squeezed his hand in reassurance, wordlessly conveying that it would be alright, Kate would soon forget anything ever happened and so would she.

"Let's go out tonight," Lucas said, focusing back on the road. "You, me, and Kate..."

"Where?"

"Anywhere. I just want to spend some time with my girls."

Brooke's smile widened. "And we want to spend time with our boy."

Lucas pulled up to Jake and Peyton's a few minutes later and, when he and Brooke both stepped inside, Kate instantly appeared to greet them. The little girl's eyes lit up at the sight of her mother holding Lucas' hand and, like Brooke had said, she didn't ask any questions; she simply jumped into Lucas' arms, telling him that she was so happy to see him.

He took the two of them out to the pizza place they had gone to on their first group date together a few months ago. Like that night, Kate spent much of her time in the arcade, enthralled by the games. Lucas looked down at Brooke, whose head rested comfortably on his shoulder as she silently watched Kate.

"It's kind of weird to think how far we've come since the last time we were here."

"We barely knew each other then," she agreed, "and yet I felt more comfortable with you than I did with people I'd known for years."

He nodded thoughtfully. "You know, if there's one thing I regret about you and me, it's that I didn't come into your life sooner. I would have loved to be there for you when you lived in New York, to take care of you and Kate, and sometimes I wonder if I hadn't spent so much time traveling, you and I could have found each other much sooner."

She tipped her head up, getting a good like at him as their eyes met. "I think it would have been great if we'd found each other sooner, but I like how things have turned out. Two very different people meeting at their best friends' wedding, starting a whirlwind romance...it sounds like it's from a movie, now that I think about it. But I like that about us. I like that we didn't go down the conventional path, that we found each other when we needed each other most. I feel like it was perfect timing."

"I guess so," he said with a grin, "and our story does make for a very good book. I'll make millions off of us."

She laughed. "I hope so, otherwise I'm just not sure you and I will work anymore."

"I _knew _you were only dating me for my money," he said, playfully nudging her.

"Darn, looks like I've been caught."

Chuckling softly, he bent his head down to kiss the top of her head. She was still smiling as she focused back on Kate. His eyes wandered over to the little girl he'd come to think of as his own daughter and he knew without a doubt that someday soon, she would be officially his. He looked back down at Brooke, smiling automatically at the sight of her peaceful face. He was going to marry this girl— that was one of the few things in his life that he was absolutely sure of— and he could wait until that day came.

Catching Lucas' gaze on her, Brooke looked up at him curiously. "What're you thinking about?"

"You."

She cocked an eyebrow. "Oh, really?"

"Yeah..." His lips met hers in a gentle kiss. "I'm gonna love you forever, Brooke Davis."

Their eyes met, a soft smile taking over her lips. "You really know how to woo a girl, don't you?"

"Like I told you not that long ago, I only speak the truth."

"Well, that's good, because I'll never stop loving you, Lucas. You're the only guy out there for me."

He grinned, pulling her in for another kiss and, when they pulled away, she was shaking her head, laughing quietly to herself.

"What?"

"Oh nothing, it's just that sometimes, we can be such a cheesy couple."

"Yes, but we can pull off the cheesiness. Some other couples can't."

"True," Brooke said with a grin just as Kate made her way back to the table. "Do you need some more quarters, baby?"

Kate shook her head, climbing onto her mother's lap. Lucas smiled softly as he watched them interact. It was a sight that would never get old.

"I'm tired..." Kate quietly said.

"It is getting kind of late," Brooke said. "Let's head home."

Brooke stood up, lifting a sleepy looking Kate with her, and Lucas followed as they walked back outside. He didn't want to leave them. It felt like he hadn't spent time with them like this in such a long time and the thought of leaving them again tonight wasn't very appealing.

He hated leaving them every night and having to spend his nights alone, all the while wishing he was lying next to Brooke with Kate sleeping down the hall. He wanted to be a family with them. Brooke always claimed that she was one of the messiest people on earth and that Kate had inherited that quality from her too, but right now he wanted nothing more than for them to make a mess of his own house. As long as they were living there with him, nothing else would matter.

And that was when he knew that he was going to have to make this a reality and, very quickly, a plan formed in his head...

**888**

"Do you want to stay at my place tonight?" he asked Brooke as they got into his car.

Kate's head whipped up from Brooke's shoulder as he said this. She didn't say anything, though, she just sent Brooke a hopeful smile.

"Sure," Brooke said, winking over at Lucas, "that sounds like a great idea."

Brooke was hoping that Lucas would ask them to come to his place. After the last few days spent away from him, she really wasn't ready to leave him just yet. Kate was thrilled at the idea of spending the night at Lucas', since she'd never stayed the night there before, and Brooke was happy to see Kate happy. It was so strange that last night Kate, much like Brooke, had been in such a somber mood. Now, though, she was back to her old vibrant self and so was Brooke.

They picked up some clothes at Jake and Peyton's on their way to Lucas' and, surprisingly enough, by the time they arrived at his house, Kate was just about asleep.

"Here," Lucas said, jumping out of the car and walking to Kate's door, "let me take her."

Brooke didn't protest; she just watched in admiration as Lucas gently pulled Kate into his arms, a soft smile on his face as he whispered something into Kate's ear. Kate shifted slightly in his arms, opening her eyes to smile sleepily up at him.

"I am not, Luke..." she muttered, her eyes closing again, and he just chuckled as his gaze moved back to Brooke.

Sometimes Brooke found it hard to believe that she'd found someone so _perfect_ for her. He was so great with Kate, something that everyday Brooke appreciated, but it wasn't just that. It was the fact that he simply loved being not just a friend, but a dad, to Kate. It wasn't his duty or obligation to be a dad to her, to take her out to ice cream or spend a day at the pool just hanging out. And it wasn't his job to put up with her in her crazy moods or to pick her up from school. He didn't have to do all those things and yet he did and, best of all, he did it because he wanted to. And that was exactly the type of man she needed— a man who loved not only her, but her daughter as well.

When they made it inside, Lucas motioned silently towards the stairs. She followed him up into the guest room at the end of the hall— the only room, other than his, that contained a bed— and, very gently, he lowered Kate into the bed. Brooke waited at the doorway, her lips twitched into a seemingly permanent smile as she watched Lucas kiss her daughter's brow.

A few seconds later, he turned around and walked over to her. Taking her hand, he led them quietly out of the room and into the hallway.

"Tired?" he asked as they paused outside his own room.

"Not really," she said with a mischievous smile.

"Good." He playfully pushed her against the wall, trapping her with his body. She stifled a laugh, letting her arms find their way around his waist. Her eyes closed in pleasure as his lips ran up and down her neck.

"Not that I'm not loving this, but maybe we should take this into your room since Kate's currently sleeping a few feet away."

He paused, nuzzling his head into her neck, but then nodded. Without another word, he reached for her hand and pulled her inside his room. This time she couldn't help but laugh as he eagerly launched towards her, his lips landing on hers forcefully.

"You don't like to wait, do you?"

She felt him grin against her lips. "I'm sorry..." He pulled away slightly, his eyes bearing into hers. "I've just missed you so much."

"But we were only separated for like a day," she said with a giggle.

"And that's one day too long." And then he was kissing her again as his body fell on top of hers. She let out a moan as his hands trailed underneath her halter top, his fingers tickling her skin in the most enticing of ways. Her own fingers grasped at the back of his t-shirt, eager to take it off him and feel his skin mesh perfectly against hers.

Before she could, though, he was pulling away from her her, his face set with determination. She wasn't sure what possessed him to do that, especially considering the fact that he'd initiated all this in the first place, but there was something in his eyes that told her not to say anything, to let him get out whatever he wanted to get out. And, as he looked down at her, his eyes shining with pure love, she knew that whatever he was about to was going to be very important.

"I love you."

She cocked an eyebrow. "I know you do. And I love you too."

He sent her a fleeting smile, licking his lips nervously, and she wondered what had gotten into him.

"Then how would you feel about moving in with me?" She immediately sat up, caught by surprise, but he continued, "I bought this house for a family... and now I have one. And I know that we've only been together for a few months, but I know that I want to be with you for the rest of my life. I love you so much, Brooke, and I love Kate, too..."

Brooke reached for his hand and he looked at her, his gaze intense. She didn't know why he was so nervous because living with him was something she'd been wanting for for a long time. Before she could answer him, though, he spoke again.

"I want to be Kate's father. I know that might sound a little crazy, but I love that girl like she's my own. And I just...I want to be a family with you both..."

"Oh, Luke..." She felt tears welling up in her eyes, but she didn't care because because it meant so much to her to know that Lucas wanted the same things she wanted with him. Her hand cupped his cheek and her lips twitched into a small smile. "I'd love to move in with you."

He looked surprised. "Really?"

"Of course I do, don't be so surprised. And more than anything, I want you to be Kate's father too. I want to have a family with you, Luke."

His face immediately lit up. "Good, but..."

"But what?"

"But there's something we've got to do before you and Kate move in here."

"What?" she asked, confused now.

"I've got to make an honest woman out of you."

Her eyes widened in the realization of his words She really should have been expecting this, but she'd been so overwhelmed at him asking her to live with him, that all other thoughts had been left in the dust.

"I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Brooke," he said and his voice was now full of conviction. "I want to marry you."

She was smiling now. "Lucas, I..."

"Wait," he interrupted, now smiling too, "before you say anything, just let me do something..."

She watched curiously as he jumped off the bed and disappeared into his bathroom. He appeared again a second later, a crooked grin on his face as he stopped at the edge of the bed.

"Come here," he said, holding out his hand.

She cocked an eyebrow, but took it. They stood face to face, his hands still holding onto hers. For a few moments, nothing was said, and she waited patiently for him to speak. She was surprised that she was being so calm, since he had pretty much just proposed to her and it looked like he was about to do it again, but she was still getting over the shock of it all.

"I've had a picture in my mind about how this would go and, to be honest, this is definitely not what I planned, but that's okay, because I don't think there's been a moment more perfect for this than now."

His hand released hers and went into his pocket. Her heart beat quickened as he pulled out a black velvet box. This obviously wasn't as spur of the moment as she'd thought it was.

Then he slowly fell to one knee, his eyes staring straight into hers all the while, and opened the box. Her hand went to her mouth at the sight of the diamond ring.

"I could go on and on about how much you mean to me, but I think it all comes down to one thing and that is this— I love you...I love you more than anything in this world and that is the truth. Life without you is meaningless and life with you is complete. So, Brooke Davis, will you marry me?"

Tears were falling down her face now and then she was nodding quickly and surely. There was no way her answer would be anything other than yes.

"Yes, Lucas, of course I'll marry you."

Pure joy overtook his features as he quickly got back to his feet and pulled her into his arms. She clung to him, laughing through her tears. There was no way to properly describe the emotions she was feeling now. When she was younger, she'd imagined what this day would be like over and over. It would always be something extravagant and over the top with her knight in shining armor sweeping her off her feet. But this was a million times more than what she'd ever dreamed of and, best of all, it was not a dream— it was reality.

"I think this belongs to you," Lucas said, gently lifting the ring from the box.

The ring was absolutely amazing, more she could have ever imagined.

"Lucas, this is beautiful."

"Only the best for you," he said and then he slipped it on her finger.

She just shook her head in amazement. It felt perfect on her finger, not too heavy or tight. It was like it was made for her.

"I had no idea you were planning this," she murmured. "When did you even get the ring?"

"While I was in New York. After my meeting with Lindsay's dad, I realized that there was no way that I could ever possibly be happy with any girl other than you. And I just so happened to pass a Tiffany's store on my way back to the hotel, so I figured it must have been fate."

"Luke, it's just...it's so amazing." She fell back into his arms. "Thank you."

"I just want to make you happy, Pretty Girl."

She sighed happily, resting her head on his chest. "You do, Luke. You make me so happy..."

And he really had just made her the happiest person in the world. Last night seemed like a far away memory. The past no longer mattered. All that mattered now was their future.

**888**

There was no doubt that last night had been the best night of Lucas' life. He hadn't planned on proposing to Brooke so soon, but after his night with her and Kate, it just felt right. And so he'd done it and she'd said yes.

He was still getting used to the fact that Brooke was going to be his wife. It was the most amazing feeling in the world and every time he looked at the ring on her finger he felt a burst of joy run through him. It was a giddy feeling, knowing that there was someone on this earth that was his other half, that could make him so unbelievably happy. But that was what Brooke was. She was his other half, his soulmate, his destiny. There was nothing else to it and to know that she was going to be his wife was simply amazing.

A pair of arms wound around his waist and he turned his head to smile at his fiancée. They were standing in the kitchen and he was just about done cooking breakfast for his family.

"Kate's coming down. Are you ready for this?"

He nodded. "Yeah...are you?"

"I think so...I mean this is kind of huge, but I know that Kate will be thrilled to hear we're getting married. She probably wants this more than we do."

"I don't know about that," he said, grinning as he turned around and wrapped his arms around her.

At this moment, Kate bounced into the kitchen, looking much livelier than Lucas had last seen her.

"Morning, sweetie," Brooke said, pulling reluctantly away from him. "You up for some pancakes?"

"Mmmm, yeah," Kate said with a smile as she took a seat at the kitchen table. "I love pancakes."

Brooke loaded up their plates and soon they were all seated around the table with Lucas and Brooke sitting next to each other and Kate across from them.

"How did you sleep, Kate?" Lucas asked.

"Good. That bed was so comfy." She paused, looking slyly over at her mother. "I think we should spend the night again tonight..."

Brooke smiled softly at her. "Actually, how would you feel about moving in here with Lucas?"

"Moving?" Kate asked with wide eyes. "So we'd _live_ here?"

"Yes,we would."

"Really?" Kate's excitement seemed to be growing by the second. "When would we move?"

Brooke turned to look at Lucas, wordless handing the reigns over to him. He smiled confidently at her, squeezing her hand, and then looked back at Kate.

"You'd probably move in with me after your mom and I get married."

There was a lengthy pause and for a moment Lucas was worried that Kate was going to be less than thrilled, but he was relieved a second later when her face lit up in excitement."You're gonna get _married_?"

He simply nodded, looking back at Brooke, who sent him a reassuring smile.

"That's so cool!"

"Well, I'm glad you approve," Brooke said, chuckling at her daughter's reaction. She scooted closer to Lucas and his arm rested along her shoulders.

"Does this mean you're gonna be my daddy, Lucas?"

His face softened at this. "If you want me to be."

"I do."

"Good, because I want to be your daddy, too."

"Can I call you daddy then?"

There was nothing else he'd rather her call him. "I'd love for you to."

Kate beamed at him. "This is the best day ever!"

"I think I agree with you," Lucas said, as he grinned over at Brooke.

And then Kate bounded off her chair and jumped into Lucas' lap, wrapping her arms around him.

"I've never had a dad before," she whispered into his ear.

"You've got one now. And I'll be your dad forever."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"Good... I love you, Daddy..."

Those words were enough to bring tears to his eyes. If there was ever a moment in his life that defined him, it would be this moment. It was the day he became a father and the day he gained a family. And, as he held his daughter close to him, his eyes met those of his future wife and he knew without a doubt that his life was the best it had ever been. The greatest part of it all, though, was that there would be many more moments like this, more milestones shared between them, and he got to share it all with them.

These two girls were his life now. They were his reason for living, his two greatest joys, and he knew that he would never be happy without them.

* * *

**A/N: **I'm so sorry about keeping you all waiting so long for this chapter! For some reason, this one was a struggle to write, so it took some extra time to write it all. I hope that it didn't suck too much, because obviously it was a pretty major milestone for this story. Next chapter is the epilogue and will be filled with even more fluff, if that's possible.

Thanks so much for reading and please remember to review!


	19. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

If someone had told Lucas this time last year that he would be settling down and getting married, he wouldn't have believed them. It wasn't that he wouldn't have wanted to, but it just wouldn't have seemed possible at the time. He'd been traveling the nation on his second book tour and he couldn't have even remembered the last time he went on a date, let alone been serious about a girl, so it would have been crazy to even think about the possibility of him getting married.

And yet he _was_ getting married and it soon he would have the most beautiful, amazing wife he could have ever asked for. Brooke Davis was his dream come true. She was the girl he'd searched the world for and he couldn't wait to call her his wife.

Something else Lucas would have never expected a year earlier was that he'd be a dad within the year. And, much to his amazement, he was. Kate was more than he could have ever asked for. He could never get over how lucky he was to be a part of her life, to get to call her his daughter. The best part was that she really was his daughter now, not just by their word, but legally. With both Brooke and Kate's enthusiastic permission, he'd adopted her only two weeks ago. Kate Davis was officially Kate Scott and in less than an hour her mother would be a Scott too. That thought made had him grinning like a fool.

"How are you holding up? Are you nervous?" Nathan asked, coming up from behind Lucas. They were in one of the small side rooms in the church, waiting for the wedding to start.

"Nope," Lucas said, smiling as he secured his tie.

"Not even a little bit?"

"I should be, shouldn't I? But I'm not... Actually, I've never been less nervous in my life. I just want the wedding to start so I can _finally_ call Brooke my wife."

"_Finally_?" Nathan said with a laugh. "Don't be so dramatic, bro. You've been engaged for like six months and known each other just a little longer than that."

"I know, but it feels like I've been waiting my whole life for this moment."

Nathan's face softened as he patted Lucas on the back. "I know. I was just teasing you. You really deserve this, you know? You've been alone for so long, but now you've got Brooke and Kate taking care of you and that's more than reassuring for all of your family...We just want you to be happy."

"Thanks, Nate," Lucas said as he pulled his brother into a brief hug. They didn't share a lot of serious moments like this, but when they did, it always meant so much to him. "That really means lot coming from you."

"Yeah, yeah, just don't expect me to be so nice in my best man speech."

Lucas laughed. "Oh, of course not."

"Actually," Jake said, appearing behind them, "I've read Nathan's speech and I'd be surprised if it didn't garner a few tears from the ladies."

Nathan sent Jake a glare. "I wasn't aware that I gave you permission to read my speech."

"You didn't," Jake said with a grin and then he held out a piece of paper. "You left it in the bathroom."

Nathan snatched it from him, muttering a few incoherent words under his breath.

"Do you write best when you're on the toilet or something?" Lucas asked, earning a playful punch from his brother.

"Shut up..."

They were interrupted as Haley poked her head into the room. "Hey, guys. You're all looking handsome." She winked at Nathan. "Especially you, hot stuff."

"Well, obviously," Nathan said with a smirk.

She just laughed, placing a kiss on her husband's cheek, and then made her way over to Lucas. His best friend was looking at him with proud eyes and it was obvious that she was more than thrilled that he'd found the happiness he'd been searching so long for.

"It's your big day, buddy."

He smiled softly down at her. "Crazy, huh?"

"A little...So, are you glad you decided to come home?"

"It was the best decision I've ever made."

"Yeah, I think so too..." Her eyes fell to his tie and she frowned. "Luke, your tie is all crooked. You can't get married like this..." He just watched in amusement as Haley straightened it out. "And now, thanks to good old me, it's perfect."

"Crazy girl," Lucas said, laughing at Haley's attempt to always have things exactly in order. But he loved her for it. Out of all his friends, Haley had been in his life the longest and she was the one who knew him best. She was his sister in all senses of the word, but, most of all, she was his best friend.

"I love you, Hales," he said, looking down at her seriously.

"Oh, I love you too, Luke," she said, tears now in her eyes as she wrapped her arms around him in tight hug.

"How does Lucas have the power to make girls so freaking emotional?"

Lucas chuckled, playfully rolling his eyes at his brother as he pulled away from his sister-in-law.

Haley, however, glared at her husband. "Nathan Scott, moment killer."

"Sorry," Nathan said, shrugging. "You know I mean well."

Haley smiled, wrapping an arm around Nathan's waist. "That's okay. I think I can forgive you."

"Hi, Daddy."

Lucas turned around instinctively at the sound of Kate's voice. He'd never get used to how amazing it felt to hear her call him that. His daughter was standing at the door, looking angelic in her flower girl dress as she stared up at him with the dimpled smile that reminded him so much of her mother.

"There's my girl. You look incredibly beautiful today, you know that? You're gonna take everyone's breath away when you walk down that aisle."

Kate beamed up at him and he bent down so that he was eye level at her. "Thanks and you look very handsome, Daddy."

"Why thank you," he said with a chuckle. "So, how's your mom doing?"

"She's good. She told me to come in here and tell you that she loves you."

"She did, did she? Well, you tell her I love her too and that I can't wait until she's my wife."

"Okay..."

He grinned, pulling Kate into a hug. He felt like he'd been doing a lot of hugging today and he was sure there were many more to come.

"Love you, kid," he said as he stood up and she ran back to the door.

"Love you, too!" she called back and then she was gone. Haley sent Lucas one last smile before following her.

"It's just about time," Jake said, pointing towards the clock.

Nathan turned to him seriously. "You ready for this?"

His smile widened. "I haven't been more ready for anything in my life."

**888**

A permanent smile was etched on her lips as she smoothed down her beautiful white wedding gown. She'd dreamed of this day over and over and now it was finally happening. She was getting married. It was almost insane to her. It seemed like for as long as she could remember she was always the bridesmaid, but never the bride. But that wasn't the case now.

She wasn't just marrying any guy, either; she was marrying Lucas Scott, the man of her dreams, the one person who she'd ever loved like this, her other half. That in itself was the best aspect of this day. In her mind, it didn't matter if they had the big, elegant wedding that they were having today or instead decided to do something simple, all that mattered was that she was going to be his wife and he was going to be her husband.

She heard sniffling behind her and turned around to see Peyton holding back tears as she stared at Brooke.

"Hey," Brooke said, walking over to her best friend and wrapping an arm around her, "it's the bride's job to cry at the wedding, remember?"

Peyton smiled through her tears. "Yeah, but didn't I tell you that I couldn't wait to cry on your wedding day?"

Brooke felt tears coming to her own eyes. She knew she'd be doing a lot of crying today, but they'd all be happy tears.

"And you didn't have to wait twenties years, did you?" Peyton added.

She chuckled softly, remembering their conversation before Peyton's wedding. "No, I guess not."

"I told you you'd be getting married much sooner than you thought and I was right."

"I still can't believe it, even right here, sitting in my own wedding dress... Time goes by so fast."

"I know... and before you know it, you and Lucas will be following in mine and Jake's footsteps once again," Peyton said, motioning to her slightly rounded belly. She was nearly five months pregnant with her and Jake's first child and Brooke had never seen her more happy.

"I'm not sure about that," Brooke said, chuckling. "I think we're gonna wait a year or two before we give Kate a little brother or sister. We've got to enjoy our life as newlyweds, first."

"Uh huh, I give you less than a year. Actually, since Lucas can't keep his hands off you, I'm gonna give you six months tops before he knocks you up."

"Funny, Peyton," Brooke said, playfully glaring at her best friend.

Peyton shrugged, sending her a teasing smile, but then she turned serious.

"You're getting married, Brooke."

Her lips formed into an automatic smile. "I know."

"Really, Brooke, after everything you've been through, you deserve this happy ending more than anyone."

"Thank you," Brooke murmured as she hugged her best friend.

A second later, Haley and Kate both entered the room and she and Peyton pulled apart. Kate ran right to her and Brooke scooped her up into her arms, kissing her cheek.

"Daddy says he loves you too," Kate whispered into her ear. "And he says he can't wait for you to be his wife."

Brooke felt herself melt at her daughter's words. She couldn't wait to be his wife either.

"Are you ready?"

She glanced over in surprise at Karen, who'd just entered the room.

"Is it already time?"

Karen nodded, smiling sweetly at her. "Yes, we've got to get into the hall."

Her heart beat quickened, excitement raging in her body. She set Kate down and looked over at Karen and the others.

"Let's do this."

They all made their way into the church foyer. The chapel doors were opened, but she stayed hidden. She sent Kate an encouraging smile as her daughter began her walk down the aisle and, one by one, Karen, Haley, and Peyton began to disappear. Then it was her turn.

Taking a deep breath, she took a step out from behind the door. The guests all stood up as they caught sight of her, but the only thing she noticed as she began her walk was his face. Then their eyes met and there was no where else she could look. It was as if he was the only person in the room. The smile on his face grew with each step she took and her own smile was bigger than ever.

And then, when she reached the end of the aisle and he reached out for her hand, she felt the tears coming again, but she didn't care, because this was without a doubt one of the best moments of her life. Her hand fell into his, fitting perfectly as always, and his lips fell to her knuckles, kissing them softly.

"You look so beautiful," he murmured, taking her other hand as well.

She just sent him a watery smile as the minister called them forward. Their eyes never left each other the whole ceremony and, as they promised themselves to one another for the rest of their lives and then sealed that promise with a kiss, she knew without a single doubt that there was no one else in this world for her. They were simply made for each other.

**888**

They were on the dance floor now, swaying gently to the music as he held her in her arms. It was their first dance as husband and wife and it was one of those perfect moments in life that he never wanted to end. Her head and hands rested on his chest, his arms wrapped loosely around her as his lips grazed her cheek.

She tipped her head to look up at him, their gazes latching. And then his lips met hers and it was the best feeling to know that he'd be able to kiss her like this for the rest of his life. When she pulled away, she moved her head back to his chest, a peaceful smile on her face. He smiled too, content to simply hold her in his arms.

As they danced, his gaze fell over to Jake and Peyton, who danced together only a few feet away. Jake caught his gaze and sent him a grin before focusing on his wife again. Lucas wasn't sure where he'd be right now if it weren't for Jake and Peyton. If Jake had never met Peyton, then chances were he'd have never met Brooke and that thought just didn't sit well with him. He liked to believe that, had Peyton and Jake not met in New York, they'd all have found each other eventually, but it really was pointless wondering what could have been, when their reality was so much better.

Next to Jake and Peyton was Mouth and the one person he'd never have imagined they'd have invited to their wedding— Rachel. Although Rachel had gone back to New York after the trouble she'd caused, she and Mouth had remained close and, after a few months, they became a couple. It was a surprise to Brooke, who never knew Mouth and Rachel's history in high school, but not to him. Mouth and Rachel had always been close and Mouth had been the only one to stay in contact with her after they graduated, so their relationship was nothing new to Lucas. He was more than happy for them, too. Mouth had a way of making Rachel a better person, while at the same time loving her for who she really was, and that was the type of guy Rachel needed. What pleased Lucas the most was that Rachel was genuinely happy with Mouth. She was in no way settling and, as she herself had told Lucas, she'd never been happier.

Of course, since Rachel was spending a lot of time in Tree Hill to be with Mouth, the relationship between Rachel and Brooke had been slightly awkward at first. Somehow, though— and Lucas still wasn't quite sure how it happened— they managed to become friends. He wasn't complaining, because the less drama between them all, the better.

His gaze then moved to land on Kate, who was over at one of the tables with Jenny and Lily. The three girls teased an overwhelmed looking Jamie.

"I hope for Jamie's sake that Peyton and Jake are having a boy," Brooke said and he noticed that she was observing the kids too.

He just laughed. "Me too... poor kid is surrounded by girls."

A light smile was on her lips as she sighed contentedly. "I keep thinking of our first dance. It was right here, a little over nine months ago."

"And now here we are, dancing at our own wedding."

"It's crazy how much can change over such little amount of time."

"It definitely is amazing." He looked at her, their eyes meeting. "I honestly don't know how I lived without you. I can't even bear the idea of being without you now."

"Thankfully, you don't have to." Her hand cupped his cheek. "I'm here now and I'm never going to leave you. Not for anything."

He smiled softly down at her, placing a sweet kiss on her lips before resting his forehead against hers.

"I love you, Mrs. Scott."

Her gazed latched onto his, a big smile taking over her face at his words, and then she said then one thing that he would never tire of hearing, "I love you too, husband."

* * *

**A/N: **This is the end! It's kind of crazy that it's over, but I feel like it's time. This chapter was a lot of fun to write, so I hope you thought it was fun to read too. And I hope that it wasn't too cheesy either, although I know it probably was. Oh and if anyone can find that Scrubs reference in there, then I will love you forever (Scrubs = the best show ever...it's just the truth :D)!

I will be posting that oneshot I mentioned within the next few weeks. I'm working on it in my spare time, but so far I have to say that I love it. Then again I've only written less than a third of it, so who knows how the rest will turn out... But be sure to look out for it. It's gonna be a fun read, I promise! And if you haven't already, check out my other story, The Point of No Return. This is the story that I'm gonna be focusing on now that this is over. I don't really have any other story planned as of now.

Thanks so much to every single person for reading! In times like these, we need our Brucas fix and that's really why I write. I hope it can give all of us Brucasers some hope, even though the show has given us none. And to my loyal reviewers: you all are **amazing**! This story would be nowhere without you, there's no doubt about that. So thanks, guys!


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